The 20th of July Peace and Freedom Day celebrations kicked off on Tuesday with a 21-gun salute and an address to the nation by President Ersin Tatar at noon.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is celebrating the 48th anniversary of the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation which liberated the Turkish Cypriot people from Greek-Greek Cypriot oppression.
The Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay will be representing the Republic of Türkiye during this year’s celebrations.
20th of July Peace and Freedom Day celebrations marking the 48th anniversary of the Turkish Peace Operation got underway on Tuesday with a 21-gun salute and President Ersin Tatar’s speech broadcast on BRT.
A dawn vigil will also be held later tonight at the Yavuz Çıkarma Beach where Turkish forces carried out their first amphibious landing.
The first ceremony marking the anniversary will be held at the Boğaz Martyrs’ cemetery at 6pm today followed by a second ceremony at Dr Fazıl Küçük’s Mausoleum in Lefkoşa at 6:30pm.
A ceremony will also be held at the mausoleum of the late founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş at 7pm.
On Wednesday, the first ceremony will be held in front of the Atatürk Monument in Lefkoşa at 8:30am followed by another ceremony in front of the Lefkoşa Martyrs’ monument at 8:50am.
The main 20th of July parade, as usual, will take place at the Dr. Fazıl Küçük Boulevard in Lefkoşa at 9:30am.
Speeches will be delivered at the main event, followed by a military parade.
Similar ceremonies will also be held across the TRNC.
The Turkish Stars aerobatics team will be putting on a show in Girne at 6pm on Wednesday evening.
Martyrs who fell during the peace operation will also be remembered this week.
The Alaminyo Martyrs will be remembered with a ceremony in front of the Değirmenlik Alaminyo Martyrs’ monument on Thursday, July 21.
The Topçuköy martyrs will be remembered on Friday, July 22 at the Topçuköy Martyrs Cemetery and the Taşpınar martyrs are to be remembered with a ceremony at the Taşpınar Martrys’ Cemetery on Monday, July 25.
Meanwhile, former Turkish minister of state Kürşad Tüzmen and seven professional athletes are swimming from Mersin to the TRNC to mark the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Turkish Peace Operation.
The swimmers are being accompanied by the Turkish Coast Guard during their 93km swim to the island.
Tüzmen and his group will be handing over the Turkish flag they are carrying with them to TRNC officials on Wednesday.