Turkish Cypriots mark Peace and Freedom Day

NICOSIA

Turkish Cypriot President (Center) Eroğlu and other officials mark Turkey’s intervention.

Turkish Cyprus has marked the 38th anniversary of Turkey’s intervention in Cyprus with ceremonies across the northern part of the island.

Turkish Cypriots celebrate “Peace and Freedom Day” on July 20 every year. Turkish Cypriot President Derviş Eroğlu, Prime Minister İrsen Küçük, and Vice President Mehmet Ali Talat, as well as several ministers and top generals from the Turkish Cyprus Peace Forces, including Lieutenant General Adem Huduti, attended the ceremony. 

On behalf of Turkey, Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay, deputy chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Osman Korutürk, and Secretary General of the Presidency Mustafa İsen, as well as a number of other officials attended the ceremonies. President Abdullah Gül sent a letter to Eroğlu, reiterating the Turkey’s support to Turkish Cypriots.

U.N. mandate extended

During his speech in Nicosia, Eroğlu said the result of the reunification talks were so far a “disappointment,” and called on the United Nations to reveal why and where the negotiations were deadlocked. Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council has extended the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus through to January 2013, and again urged all leaders to speed up talks. The council made the move in a resolution adopted 13-0, with two abstentions from Azerbaijan and Pakistan, noting that the decades-long Cyprus stalemate had so far failed to move toward a comprehensive and durable settlement. 

Compiled from AA and AP stories by the Daily News staff.