President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to start a two-day official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Monday to mark the 47th anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 Peace Operation, which protected the island’s Turkish Cypriot community from Greek Cypriot violence.
During his visit, Erdoğan will address a special session of the Turkish Cypriot Parliament and attend July 20 Peace and Freedom Day celebrations. He also will meet with Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar to exchange views on the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and bilateral relations.
With Cyprus as a key actor, the Eastern Mediterranean has been one of the main issues of dispute between Turkey, the EU and Greek Cypriots last year.
Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara favors resolving all outstanding problems in the region through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiation. Turkey has also criticized the EU’s stance on the Eastern Mediterranean conflict, calling on the bloc to adopt a fair attitude regarding the dispute and give up favoring Greece under the pretext of EU solidarity.
Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, stressing that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Erdoğan will also attend a mass inauguration ceremony of some completed projects.
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