Big Turkish presence in occupied Cyprus to test detente with Greece
The extravagant celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus are raising tensions at a time when hopes for a deepening bilateral dialogue with Greece and even “five-sided” talks under the aegis of the United Nations had been raised.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive on Friday night to attend the celebrations, accompanied by several ministers and his ally, Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli.
Turkey calls the invasion, which has permanently divided the island, a “peace mission” to deliver the oppressed Turkish-Cypriot minority.
As one of the three “guarantor powers,” along with Greece and the United Kingdom, Turkey was within its rights to intervene after a Greek-inspired coup had ousted Cyprus’ legitimate leader Archbishop Makarios. His replacement, Nikos Sampson, had participated in violent attacks on Turkish Cypriots.
But Turkey had no plans merely to intervene and mediate, but to enforce a permanent partition. The then-ruling military regime in Athens believed that they could effect a union between Greece and Cyprus without Turkish intervention.
In the south, the internationally recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus, will also commemorate the July 20, 1974, invasion as a disaster. On the Greek side, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, opposition head Stefanos Kasselakis and socialist leader Nikos Androulakis will attend.
In the occupied part of Cyprus, a concert will take place Friday on the beach where the Turkish forces landed early on July 20.
On Saturday, there will be overflights by F-16s and an aerobatics squad, and a sea “parade” with 50 ships, including the aircraft carrier Anadolu.
