A ceremony was held in the capital Lefkoşa this morning to mark the 451st anniversary of the capture of the city by the Ottomans.
The ceremony was held in front of the Lefkoşa Martyrs Monument.
Wreaths were laid followed by a minutes silence and the firing of a volley of salute.
Lefkoşa fell to the Ottomans on September 9 1570, following a 40-day siege under the command of Lala Mustafa Paşa.
In a message issued to mark the day, President Ersin Tatar said that the Turkish existence in Cyprus will continue forever, as Turkish Cypriots live under the sovereignity, freedom and independence of their state.
He said that Turkish flags now fly above Lefkoşa, following decades of hardships and struggle waged by the Turkish Cypriot people, first against British colonial rule and then against the Greek Cypriots.
“Our struggle and fight is to reach a fair, permanent and sustainable agreement in Cyprus. Our solution proposal, based on the existence of two sovereign and equal states supported by motherland Turkey, is the most appropriate solution in line with the realities of the island and the region,” he said, adding that Turkish Cypriots will never accept becoming a minority under Greek Cypriot rule.