Turkey’s VP condemns Turkish Cypriot leader over Syria op

ANKARA

A number of Turkish officials condemned the Turkish Cypriot president early on Oct. 13 over his remarks on Turkey’s ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria.

“I condemn [Mustafa] Akıncı who ignores the fact that Operation Peace Spring is taking place against the bloody terrorist organization PKK/PYD for the stability of region,” said Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Twitter.

“Our struggle in the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation which was carried out with the aim of bringing peace and prosperity to the region and the struggle for Operation Peace Spring in Syria today are being carried out with the same spirit,” he said.

Oktay said Akıncı’s “unfortunate remarks” do not reflect the opinion of Turkish Cypriots.

The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party, Ömer Çelik, also took the issue to Twitter, saying: “The Cyprus Operation Peace was an operation against a murder network and it established peace. Operation Peace Spring is also the fight against terrorism we carry out against a murder network.”

Akıncı took to Facebook on Oct. 12 night to address criticism at home and in Turkey about his silence with regard to Turkey’s military operation.

“Even though we called the offensive in 1974 Operation Peace, it was a war and blood was spilled. Now, even if we say Operation Peace Spring, what is being spilled is not water, it is blood. For this reason, it is my greatest wish that dialogue and diplomacy come into play as soon as possible,” Akıncı wrote on Facebook. Akıncı was referring to Turkey’s Cyprus Peace Operation in 1974.

Akıncı said he had lost his friends like many others during 1974’s offensive and learned what war means from experience.

In 1974, following a coup aiming at Cyprus’ annexation by Greece, Ankara intervened as a guarantor power. In 1983, the Turkish Cyprus was founded.