A military parade is set to take place on Saturday in the Turkish-occupied territories of northern Cyprus, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion. The event, which is expected to include displays of military equipment and personnel, will be personally overseen by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is making a highly controversial visit to the island.
The parade, organized by the occupying forces—known under the code name “Attila”—aims to showcase what Turkish officials call “achievements” of the 1974 operation. However, the invasion and continued military presence remain unrecognized by the international community and have been condemned repeatedly by the United Nations and the European Union as violations of Cyprus’s sovereignty.
During his visit, Erdoğan is expected to meet with Ersin Tatar, the leader of the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” a breakaway entity recognized only by Turkey. According to a statement from Turkish presidential communications chief Fahrettin Altun, Erdoğan will also attend several ceremonies, including the foundation-laying of new infrastructure projects and the inauguration of Turkish-funded developments.
The visit has reignited tensions on the island and drawn sharp criticism from the government of the Republic of Cyprus, which sees it as a direct affront to its territorial integrity and a violation of international law. Critics argue that Erdoğan’s presence and rhetoric undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts to reunify the island and send a message of escalation rather than reconciliation.
The Turkish military intervention in 1974, launched in response to a short-lived Greek-backed coup, led to the division of the island into a Turkish-controlled north and a Greek Cypriot south. Today, nearly half a century later, the Cyprus issue remains one of Europe’s longest-running unresolved conflicts, with talks repeatedly stalling due to deep political divisions and unilateral actions such as Erdoğan’s latest visit.
Source: pagenews.gr