Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made remarks at the ceremony held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which declared its own independence, where he went to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Cyprus Peace Operation, which was described as a Peace Operation by Ankara. Erdoğan defined the recognition of the two states as a condition for the settlement of the Cyprus issue.
The President said, "We believe that a federal solution in Cyprus is not possible. We are ready to negotiate and help achieve lasting peace. A stable solution to the issue is possible only with the recognition of two states; this is inevitable, and we will continue our efforts to realise the two-state solution with determination."
The President continued his speech: "The people who think that they can accomplish their objectives by exerting pressure on the Turkish Cypriots are mistaken. Neither we nor they will give in to threats. We will intensify our efforts to end the isolation and lift the embargo on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)."
TRNC leader Ersin Tatar accused the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus of escalating tensions on the island. Tatar also expressed gratitude to Türkiye for acting in the TRNC's best interests on all international platforms. Tatar said, "You have been our voice at the UN, where the rights of the Turkish Cypriots are violated."
It is planned that the events will include a naval parade featuring 50 warships and a demonstration by Turkish Air Force teams.