Deputy Director of Communications Başar said, "Just like the brutal and inhumane attacks carried out by some Greeks against the Turks with the dream of Enosis before the Peace Operation, today Israel is committing a similar massacre in Palestine."
The exhibition "Cyprus Facts," organised by the Ankara Culture, Art, and Civilization Association with the support of the Directorate of Communications, was inaugurated.
During his speech at the opening of the exhibition at Ankara Art Gallery and Auction House, Deputy Director of Communications Evren Başar said that the massacres against the Turks, which started in the mid-1950s on the island of Cyprus and continued until the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, will remain a bloody stain on the pages of history.
Başar emphasised that the exhibition, which was organised to keep the events in Cyprus on the public agenda and memories about them fresh, became more meaningful in the days when similar tragedies occurred in Gaza.
Noting that the current situation in Palestine is similar to what Turkish Cypriots faced in the past, Başar stated:
"With its sights set on Palestinian territory and for nearly seventy-five years attempting to occupy the region gradually through a variety of means, Israel continues its attacks on Gaza uninterruptedly and without discriminating between targets." Just like the brutal and inhumane attacks carried out by some Greeks against the Turks with the dream of Enosis before the Peace Operation, today, Israel is committing a similar massacre in Palestine. It does not hesitate to add to its war crimes at any moment."
Başar said that those who remained silent in the face of the killing of Turkish Cypriots in the past also remain silent in the face of the killing of countless Palestinian children since October 7 and that some media outlets are trying to portray the innocent people murdered as guilty while acquitting the perpetrators of the crimes committed.
"The vision of powerful Türkiye and powerful TRNC"
Başar stated that Türkiye has made and continues to make every effort to safeguard the rights of Turkish Cypriots and went on to say,
"Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, significant steps have been taken in relation to the Cyprus issue." The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) fulfils all the necessary criteria to be considered a state and should be an actor in international relations. However, it is unfortunate that, apart from Türkiye, no other state recognises it. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has consistently extended an invitation to the international community to recognise the TRNC's independence and to foster diplomatic, political, and economic ties.
Başar stated that President Erdoğan has consistently cautioned the United Nations Peacekeeping Force stationed on the island of Cyprus to maintain impartiality, emphasised that this matter has been closely observed, and further expressed, "We are confident that through these endeavours, the time when the idea of a powerful Türkiye and a powerful TRNC will resonate more prominently is rapidly approaching."
The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by TRNC Ambassador to Türkiye İsmet Korukoğlu, TRT General Director Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, Head of the Turkish War Veterans Association Beyazıt Yumuk, Dr. Şebnem İlhan, and President of the Ankara Culture, Arts and Civilisation Association Eyüp Gökhan Özekin.
However, due to another engagement, Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun was unable to attend the opening ceremony.
The exhibition is open to visitors until November 24.
The exhibition's goal is to bring attention to the tragedies of the past, to honour the memory of the genocide and massacres endured by Turkish Cypriots, and to ensure that awareness and sensitivity towards Cyprus remain strong.
The exhibition depicts the events that led to the "Cyprus Peace Operation," which brought an end to the atrocities in Cyprus. It features numerous photographs, newspapers, and news notes from that period.
The exhibition, which presents a chronological exploration of the Cyprus issue, will be open to visitors until November 24.
