Turkish parliament head marks 38th founding anniversary of Northern Cyprus

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish parliament speaker on Monday marked the 38th founding anniversary of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

In a letter to TRNC's President Ersin Tatar and his counterpart Onder Sennaroglu, Mustafa Sentop said: “On behalf of myself and the members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, I congratulate (you on) the 38th anniversary of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with my most heartfelt feelings.”

Noting that Nov. 15, 1983, constituted the most important turning point in the political destiny of the Turkish Cypriot people, Sentop said this is a glorious day when the Turkish people also felt the same enthusiasm and joy in their hearts.

Cyprus has been divided into the TRNC in the north, and Greek Cypriot Administration in the south, since a 1974 military coup aiming to annex Cyprus to Greece.

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aiming at Greece's annexation led to Turkey's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots thwarted the UN's Annan plan to end the dispute.