With the chilling sound of sirens, this year’s 20th of July dawned in free Cyprus, recalling that morning, 50 years ago, when the first Turkish soldier set foot on the shores of Kyrenia. Half a century has passed. It was also then a Saturday, 5:30 in the morning.

July 20, 1974 was not a Saturday like any other. It was the day that changed the fate of Cyprus forever. It was the day that was inextricably linked to everything we have come to call barbarism. The Turkish troops set foot, almost unhindered, on the Five Mile Coast at Kyrenia, cutting the thread of thousands of years of history in a place of uninterrupted Hellenism. Kyrenia has now been “christened” Girne and the few Greeks who wander its alleyways are visitors to their own homeland.

Memorial services are being held, on the free side of Cyprus, with eyes on the rest of the island, beyond the barbed wire. On that rest of the island, in the occupied territories, where parades and celebrations are held. Turkish demonstration aircraft, frigates and submarines of the invader’s navy leave no illusion. The war is not over. The threat is real and time unfortunately allies itself with those who killed, raped and demolished.

July 20, 1974, was the first stabbing of Attila. It was followed by the second with Attila 2 , just 20 days later. More deaths and more destruction and more loss. Gone too was Famagusta, which remains to this day mute and grassy.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be in Cyprus for this year’s invasion anniversary celebrations. It is the first time since 1974 that the Greek Prime Minister will attend the main anti-invasion event and speak alongside the Cypriot president. Already since yesterday, the Presidents of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis and PASOK Nikos Androulakis are in Cyprus too along with a delegation of the Hellenic Parliament.

The Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accompanied by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, is expected to arrive after noon at Larnaca airport and his official reception at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia will be given by Nicos Christodoulides at 19:45. Following a private meeting, both of them will take part and speak at the event to condemn the invasion and occupation of 37% of Cyprus’ territory by Turkish troops for half a century.

Events to mark the 50th anniversary of the invasion begin in Nicosia early this morning. The Cypriot President, accompanied by members of the Cabinet, will attend the unveiling ceremony of the busts of heroes Tassos Markos, Fotis Christou and Andreas Arrestis at 7:45 am and at 8. At 9.00 a prayer service for the fallen and the missing will be held in the same place.

Opposite of Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is expected in the occupied territories early this morning and his presence will probably not coincide with that of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, since when the Prime Minister arrives in the Republic of Cyprus the Turkish President will have departed from its occupied territories. Turkish events in the occupied territories to mark the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion began yesterday at noon with 50 cannon shots and a speech by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.

Today’s military parade in occupied Nicosia will take place at 10:00 and will include speeches by Ersin Tatar and Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish President will be accompanied by Devlet Bahçeli, the chairman of the co-ruling Nationalist Action Party and the chairmen of the smaller parties supporting him.

In occupied Kyrenia, wreath-laying ceremonies will be held on the beach of the landing and yesterday afternoon there was an acrobatic display by the Turkish Stars air squadron and 50 ships passed in front of the Dome Hotel in occupied Kyrenia.

The invasion celebrations have been accompanied by extreme provocations by Turkey, which in a Foreign Ministry statement reminded that “they may come suddenly some night.” Also, the presence of 50 warships and a number of aircraft raises the tensions.