Turkey's Defense Ministry fired back at the European Parliament this week after MEPs passed a resolution condemning the ...

Turkey's Defense Ministry fired back at the European Parliament this week after MEPs passed a resolution condemning the 1974 invasion of Cyprus, demanding Turkey withdraw its troops, and calling the continued occupation a violation of international law and UN resolutions. Ankara rejected the resolution in blunt terms, calling its references to Turkish armed forces "unfounded, absurd, and disgraceful." The ministry described the 1974 military operation as a "Peace Operation" that saved Turkish Cypriots from what it called systematic massacres, forced displacement, and attempted annihilation at the hands of Greek Cypriot groups. Turkey's ministry specifically cited the post-1963 period, claiming EOKA destroyed 103 Turkish Cypriot villages, displaced around 30,000 Turkish Cypriots, and killed women, children, and the elderly. It dismissed the European Parliament resolution as evidence of what it called "loss of reason" and a one-sided approach based on, in its words, "Greek Cypriot propaganda." The ministry also accused the EP of ignoring what it described as mass graves and years of attacks against Turkish Cypriots, naming specific incidents including the "Bloody Christmas" events and villages it refers to as Ayvasıl, Muratağa, Santallar, and Aloa. In the closing statement, Turkey's Defense Ministry declared that the presence of Turkish soldiers on Cyprus has been "a guarantee of peace, security, and stability for more than half a century." It added that Turkish armed forces are "more determined than ever" to respond to any hostile stance threatening Turkish Cypriot security, and that Turkey will continue protecting the interests of what it calls the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The European Parliament resolution, which triggered the response, reaffirmed Cyprus's sovereignty and called on Turkey to respect international law. Turkey, which has occupied the northern third of Cyprus since 1974, is not recognized as a legitimate military presence by the EU, the UN, or the Republic of Cyprus. #Cyprus #Turkey #EuropeanParliament