The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would have suffered a similar fate to the Gaza Strip had it not been for Türkiye’s peace operation on July 20, 1974, according to the TRNC’s envoy in Ankara.
"If it weren’t for the operation, (the Greeks) would have forced us to abandon the island," the TRNC’s Ambassador Ismet Korukoğlu said Thursday, speaking to Turkish newspaper Sabah. "Israel is depopulating land in Gaza and displacing the people in the West Bank."
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Türkiye’s Cyprus Peace Operation in the island’s north, five days after a coup orchestrated by the junta then in power in Athens sought to unite the whole island with Greece. It also followed persecution and ethnic attacks that started in the early 1960s against Turkish Cypriots who were forced into enclaves for their safety when the government sought constitutional changes against Turks on the island.
The operation’s aftermath effectively divided the island along ethnic lines, with some 170,000 Greek Cypriots fleeing the north to be replaced by some 40,000 Turkish Cypriots displaced from the government-held south. The TRNC was founded in 1983 but only Türkiye recognizes it as an official state.
Since then, the violence has stopped, but tensions continue, including over who holds sway on the Island's exclusive offshore economic zone, over 40% of which was claimed by Türkiye following recent natural gas discoveries.
Türkiye doesn't recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a state and still keeps some 35,000 troops in the TRNC.
All flights to Turkish Cyprus have to make at least one stopover in Türkiye due to international embargoes, hampering the development of large-scale tourism.
The rejection of a U.N. peace plan by Greek Cypriot voters in a 2004 referendum meant the Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union that year, with Turkish Cypriots denied the full benefits of membership.
Today, the U.N. Peacekeeping force, established first in 1964, patrol a buffer zone behind the former front line between the two sides.
Korukoğlu expressed concern over Greek Cyprus’ increasing arming activity on the border, including nearly 250 heavy weapon emplacements, with some infringing into the buffer zone.
"The TRNC views this as an attempt to use Greek Cyprus as a military base, which is very dangerous," he said, referring to Lebanon-based Hezbollah’s threats in June to retaliate against Greek Cyprus if it helps Israel attack Lebanon.
"We also live on that island and we disapprove of the Greek Cypriot administration’s policies (of militarization)," Korukoğlu said.
Criticizing the U.N. for its lack of impartiality, the ambassador also said the world body must sign a formal, legal agreement with the TRNC to continue its peacekeeping activities.
"We have developed a new policy in consultation with Türkiye based on the equality of sovereignty and equal international status of the TRNC," Korukoğlu recalled.
He described President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call for TRNC’s recognition at the last two U.N. General Assembly meetings as "a turning point" in the Cyprus question.