Nicosia: Trkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Sunday to participate in events commemorating the 51st anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, also known as Peace and Freedom Day. During his visit, Erdogan will hold discussions with TRNC President Ersin Tatar and will also be involved in groundbreaking and opening ceremonies for several projects supported by Trkiye, according to Trkiye's Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, who announced the details on X.

According to Anadolu Agency, Cyprus has been entangled in a prolonged dispute between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite numerous diplomatic efforts by the United Nations to broker a comprehensive settlement. The conflict began escalating in the early 1960s when ethnic violence forced Turkish Cypriots to retreat into enclaves for protection.

In response to a 1974 Greek Cypriot coup aimed at unifying the island with Greece, Trkiye, acting as a guarantor power, intervened militarily to shield Turkish Cypriots from persecution. This intervention led to the establishment of the TRNC in 1983. Despite various attempts at a peace process, including a failed initiative in 2017 in Switzerland involving Trkiye, Greece, and the UK, a resolution remains elusive.

The Greek Cypriot Administration joined the European Union in 2004. However, in the same year, Greek Cypriots thwarted a United Nations plan designed to resolve the longstanding conflict.