Nicosia: Trkiye on Sunday commemorated the 51st anniversary of the landmark Cyprus Peace Operation, which is observed as Peace and Freedom Day in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

According to Anadolu Agency, Trkiye's Foreign Ministry highlighted the significance of the operation in a post on X, stating that Trkiye acted in accordance with its rights and obligations derived from international agreements to ensure the existence and security of the Turkish Cypriots. The ministry emphasized that Turkish Cypriots now live in security and peace under the TRNC's governance, upholding their sovereignty.

The Foreign Ministry reiterated Trkiye's commitment as "the Motherland and Guarantor" to persistently defend the rights and interests of the TRNC. It stressed the importance of reaffirming the Turkish Cypriots' inherent rights to equal sovereignty and international status as co-owners of the island. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently in the TRNC to commemorate the occasion and participate in project inaugurations.

Cyprus has faced a prolonged dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, with various diplomatic efforts by the UN aiming for a comprehensive resolution. Ethnic attacks beginning in the early 1960s caused Turkish Cypriots to retreat into enclaves for safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup seeking Greece's annexation of the island prompted Trkiye's military intervention to protect Turkish Cypriots from harm. This led to the establishment of the TRNC in 1983.

The island has experienced intermittent peace processes, including an unsuccessful 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the mediation of guarantor countries Trkiye, Greece, and the UK. The Greek Cypriot Administration joined the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots unilaterally blocked a UN plan aimed at resolving the longstanding conflict.