The Presidency's Directorate of Communications published a book titled “Who Is To Blame? The Present Cannot Be Separated From the Past” in order to reveal the background of the Cyprus issue.
In his introduction to the book, President Erdoğan referred to the Cyprus issue as “a multifaceted phenomenon in the realm of international relations that has been the subject of extensive negotiation and has yet to be resolved.”
"In order to contribute to a solution, it is imperative to document and explain the historical context and comprehend the sociological fabric of the island, which has been moulded by numerous ethnic and political disputes, geopolitical interests, and foreign interventions throughout history," President Erdoğan stated.
Noting that this issue endures to this day due to the ethnic and political tensions that have existed on the Island of Cyprus, particularly since the 1960s, President Erdoğan emphasised that the historical injustices and attacks that the Turkish Cypriot people suffered offer a critical perspective on the issues that we confront today.
Stating that the security of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities on the island was significantly jeopardised by the hostilities that erupted in the 1960s and further intensified in 1963, with a particular emphasis on the Turkish community, President Erdoğan added:
"Certainly, the endeavours to eradicate the Turkish Cypriot presence on the island are inextricably linked to the island's strategic location and the attempts to establish control over it, and they cannot be viewed in isolation. The massacres committed against the Turkish Cypriot community on the island, the annexation of Cyprus to Greece, and the overarching goal of Enosis threatened the survival of the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus. This period was characterised by the Turkish Cypriot community's efforts to preserve their security and existence.
Türkiye's intervention in 1974 was necessary due to the existential threat to the Turkish Cypriot community posed by Greek Cypriot attacks and the objective of Enosis as part of an ethnic cleansing plan. In order to protect the Turkish Cypriot population and restore peace on the island, Türkiye utilised its guarantor rights to initiate the Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, 1974, after having exhausted all political and diplomatic alternatives. In this context, acknowledging that the Cyprus issue emerged on July 20, 1974, would entail disregarding the issues that had been present for an extended period prior to this date, particularly the persecution of the Turkish Cypriots and the ethnic and political conflicts that occurred between 1963 and 1974. Detaching an issue from the context of reality will render it challenging to identify genuine and equitable solutions."
“No resolution of the UN Security Council can justify ignoring the Turkish Cypriots"
Pointing out that no resolution of the United Nations Security Council can justify narrowing the Cyprus issue to the events of 1974, thereby isolating and ignoring the Turkish Cypriots, the ancient and fundamental element of the island, from the world, President Erdoğan said, ''We, the Republic of Türkiye, sincerely hope that these restrictions, which are entirely political and lack any legal foundation, will be abolished. I would like to reiterate my vision of two equal states coexisting in a sustainable peace climate, based on the island's realities.''
Expressing his gratitude to those who contributed to the book, which presents historical facts to international public opinion once again and is a valuable source in Türkiye and the TRNC's fight against disinformation, President Erdoğan commemorated all martyrs, veterans, and heroes on the 50th anniversary of the July 20 Cyprus Peace Operation.
It is an archival work that depicts the path to the Peace Operation through documents and photographs
The archive book, first published in French by the Directorate General of Press and Information in 1974, has been re-released in Turkish and English in accordance with the original by the Directorate of Communications to shed light on the past of the Cyprus issue, which was intended to be forgotten.
The book creates a historical record by disclosing the truth through documents and photographs in opposition to the attempt to reduce the Cyprus issue to the events of 1974 while neglecting the persecution and great suffering inflicted on the island's ancient and original inhabitants, the Turkish Cypriots.
Delving into the events leading up to and following the Cyprus Peace Operation, the book includes the facts behind the Greek Cypriot side's propaganda, which portrays Türkiye, which has consistently favoured a fair and equitable solution on the island, as the source of the issue, as well as United Nations (UN) reports, news and articles published in various media outlets around the world, and photographs of the period.
The book, which uses documents to shed light on ethnic and political tensions on the island of Cyprus from the 1960s to the present day and proposes using past testimony to understand today's problems, deciphers the historical facts behind the political rhetoric that claims the Cyprus issue began on July 20, 1974.
Aiming to combat political lies and disinformation against Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye in the context of the Cyprus issue that are detached from the context of reality, the book is an archive work that illustrates the justification for Türkiye's military intervention in the island based on its guarantor rights, as well as the path leading to the Peace Operation step by step with documents and photographs.
Please click here to view the book.
