Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was given the title of Veteran (Gazi) by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on September 19, 1921.

President Ersin Tatar issued a written message on Sunday marking Veterans Day.

In his message, the President said “our greatest responsibility to our veterans, martyrs and children is to glorify, develop and protect our state.”

“Today, Turkish Cypriots protect their sovereignty and freedom in their own state with the awareness of their spiritual heritage, which is inherited from their ancestors. The Turkish Cypriot people showed an epic resistance against EOKA terrorism despite all the negative conditions and buried their children during their struggle for independence, sovereignty and freedom that has been going on for more than a century in Cyprus. It is impossible to forget this holy struggle, our martyrs we buried and our veterans” said Tatar.

Reminding that after long years of resistance of the freedom fighters and Turkish Cypriot people, the Turkish soldiers set foot in Cyprus with the Cyprus Peace Operation carried out by motherland Türkiye on the morning of July 20, 1974, using its rights arising from international agreements, the President noted that the peace operation brought freedom to the Turkish Cypriot people and peace to the whole of Cyprus.

“It should not be forgotten that if the Peace Operation had not taken place, there would have been a second Crete disaster, not a single Turk would have survived in Cyprus, and Cyprus would have turned into a Hellenic Island just like Crete. Had the peace operation not taken place, all Greeks who opposed the July 15 fascist coup would have been massacred by putschits and the Junta Administration in Greece would not have been destroyed. It is necessary to evaluate the peace operation in this aspect as well” he added.

“Under no circumstances will we give up our state, sovereignty and freedom. Our greatest responsibility to our veterans, martyrs and children is to glorify, develop and protect our state” Tatar stressed.

President Tatar concluded his message by commemorating all martyrs who sacrificed their lives for an honourable life during the years of the national struggle with mercy and respect and expressing his gratitude to all veterans.