Baf Martyrs commemorated in Güzelyurt

The 62nd anniversary of the Baf Resistance and those who lost their lives during the resistance were commemorated at a ceremony held in front of the Gazi Baf Martyrs’ Monument in Güzelyurt.

Speaker of the Parliament Ziya Öztürkler and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel also delivered speeches at the event.

In his speech, Speaker Öztürkler stated that such occasions are important in reminding people of the unity, solidarity and struggle of our ancestors. Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot people held on to their land, upheld their Turkish identity and never accepted being enslaved or treated as a minority, Öztürkler expressed that as a result of the conflict in the Middle East and the misguided actions of the Greek Cypriot Administration, the island had turned into a ‘powder keg’.

He criticized claims that “Turkish soldiers have no reason to be on the island”, emphasizing that the presence of Turkish soldiers on the island is not open to debate and noting that Türkiye’s guarantor status will continue.

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel also commemorated the Baf martyrs with respect and gratitude, recalling that the struggle for existence of the Turkish Cypriot people began when the Ottomans handed the island over to the British.

Pointing out that the established partnership Republic had been collapsed by the Greek Cypriots and that the events of 1964 went down in history as ‘Bloody Christmas’, Üstel underlined that the Republic of Türkiye has always supported the Turkish Cypriots in this struggle.

Üstel stated that the Republic of Türkiye had taken all necessary measures for the security of Turkish Cypriots on the island with Mehmetçik, F-16s, frigates and comprehensive air and naval defense systems, adding that the public should feel at ease.