“July 20, 1974 is a very significant date for Turkish Cypriots because they regained their independence, liberation, and freedom,” claimed Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.

In an interview with the Turkish news agency Anadolu, Tatar said that “just like the Aegean islands, Greeks dream of connecting Cyprus with Greece, which they see as the 13th island,” and that they aim to create a “Greater Greece,” extending their sovereign rights in the Mediterranean, and that within this idea, Greeks also consider the seas as their homeland.

“In fact, in a way, they are trying to achieve this by integrating southern Cyprus into the European Union. That is, with both the north and the south being part of the European Union, this ideological stance that Cyprus belongs to the European Union essentially aims for this,” he said.

He further asserted that “July 20, 1974 is a very significant date for Turkish Cypriots because they regained their independence, liberation, and freedom,” stating that this was made possible thanks to the Turkish military intervention and the struggle of Cypriot mujaheddin.

“In the last 50 years, there has been peace in Cyprus. No one has had a nosebleed. Before this period, there were continuous conflicts. During these conflicts, thousands of people lost their lives (sic),” he said.

Arguing that a Turkish-Greek balance has been established in Cyprus and that this balance is based on the Treaty of Lausanne signed in 1923, Tatar emphasized that the agreement states that Turkey will have a say in the future of Cyprus if the situation or the statistics on the island change.

He stated that the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an observer member of the Organization of Turkish States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and a member of various economic organizations.

“Despite some political injustices and restrictions, they have managed to show that they are a distinct people… They have managed to make it known around the world that they are a distinct people with their own language, religion, culture, destiny, works, achievements, and with the sacrifices they have paid and the martyrs they have given. The whole world now knows very well that there are two separate states, two separate democracies, and two distinct peoples in Cyprus,” he claimed.