The Turkish presidency has released a book on the Cyprus issue in Turkish and English with the aim, as it claims, "to combat political lies and disinformation by the EU". He argues that "the Cyprus issue is not limited to the events of 1974". This is a re-edition of an old book, published in French by Ankara in 1974, which is prefaced by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and repeats his position "for two equal states living side by side".
The Turkish presidency's book on the Cyprus issue is entitled "Who is to blame?" Today cannot be considered separate from the past." In the introduction, Tayyip Erdoğan mentions that there is no United Nations resolution that justifies the fact that "the Turkish Cypriots were ignored" and characterizes the Cyprus issue as "a complex phenomenon that has perhaps been under negotiation for the longest time and has not been resolved in the field of international affairs".
Tayyip Erdoğan estimates that "documenting and explaining the historical background shaped by various ethnic and political tensions, geopolitical interests and international interventions throughout history and understanding the sociological texture of the island are necessary to contribute to the solution."
Stating that the ethnic and political tensions on the island of Cyprus, especially since the 1960s, formed the basis of the issue that continues to this day, Tayyip Erdogan argues that "the injustices and attacks that the Turkish Cypriot people have suffered throughout history constitute a critical perspective for understanding today's problems".
He argues that attacks targeting the Turkish community, which began in the 1960s and intensified in 1963, endangered the security of the Turkish community.
"Of course, the activities aimed at destroying the Turkish presence on the island are closely related to the strategic position of the island and the efforts to dominate the island and cannot be considered independently of them. The massacres against the Turkish community on the island, together with the goal of the Union, the connection of Cyprus with Greece has become an element that threatens the existence of the Turkish community. During this period, the Turkish Cypriot people fought to protect their security and existence," Erdogan claims.
The I/C attacks and the Union's aim of a plan of ethnic cleansing threatened the existence of the Turkish Cypriot community, necessitating Turkey's intervention in 1974. Using its right as a guarantor and after trying all political and diplomatic means, Turkey carried out the peacekeeping operation in Cyprus on 20 July 1974, in order to protect the 'Turkish Cypriot people' and ensure peace on the island. In this context, accepting Cypriotism as having begun on 20 July 1974 would mean ignoring the problems that began long before that date, particularly the ethnic and political struggles between 1963 and 1974 and the persecution of Turkish Cypriots. This will make it difficult to find genuine and fair solutions to an issue that is disconnected from the context of reality," the Turkish President asserted.
He continues, saying that "there is no UN Security Council decision that justifies ignoring and cutting off from the Turkish world" and limiting the Cypriot to the events of 1974. "It is our desire as the Turkish Republic to remove the restrictions that have no legal basis and are purely political. In this regard, I would like to reiterate my ideal of two equal states living side by side and together in a sustainable climate of peace, based on the realities of the island," the Turkish President said.
President Erdoğan expresses his gratitude to those who "contributed to the book aimed at presenting historical events to the international audience" which serves in the fight of Turkey and the pseudo-state "against disinformation" as he says.
As stated, this is the re-edition of the book in Turkish and English which was "released in French by the General Directorate of Press and Publications in 1974, with the aim of shedding light on the forgotten past of the Cypriot people".
"The book remains in history by revealing the truth with documents and photographs, against the attempts to limit the Cyprus issue only to the events of 1974 and to ignore the oppression and deep pain caused to the Turkish Cypriots", it states.
The Turkish presidency claims that the book, which aims to "combat political lies and disinformation" is an archival work that illustrates with documents and photographs the reasons for Turkey's military intervention on the island, which - as Ankara claims - derive from the guarantees her rights, but also the gradual path towards the "peace operation" as referred to in the Turkish invasion.
Source: KYPE
