EOKA terrorist group began its attacks in Cyprus on April 1, 1955. President Ersin Tatar: “We will not leave our people at the mercy of terrorist organisations”
President Ersin Tatar marked the “pain and suffering” inflicted on innocent people during the attacks that was launched on April 1, 1955 by the Greek Cypriot EOKA terrorist organisation whose aim and objective was to annex Cyprus with Greece (Enosis).
A written statement by President Tatar, marking the 67th anniversary of the commencement of armed attacks by EOKA, reads as follows:
On this 67th anniversary of armed attacks by the EOKA terrorist organisation, which commenced on April 1, 1955, under the Greek-Greek Cypriot leadership in order to make Cyprus a Hellenic island, we regrettably continue to observe that the mentality of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo still has not changed and continue to run after fantasy dreams.
The EOKA terrorist organisation, in its first statement, declared its objective as “to expel the Turkish Cypriots, who are an extension of the Turkish nation, from the island and to realise Enosis,” and commencing a period of armed attacks, full of massacres, pain an suffering, turned Cyprus into a bloodbath.
Although the EOKA terrorist organisation first targeted the British, it soon also started attacking the Turkish Cypriot people. During the 1955-1958 period, while Turkish quarters in cities, towns and villages, and our holy and religious places were attacked, our defenceless citizens were also massacred by EOKA. The Turkish Cypriot Resistance Organisation (TMT) was established to defend, organise and protect the Turkish Cypriot people against these attacks and it was due to the resistance of the TMT that Turkish Cypriots are equal co-founding partners in the Republic of Cyprus.
Considering the Republic of Cyprus as "a springboard to Enosis", the Greek Cypriot leadership launched the Bloody Christmas attacks on December 21, 1963, in line with the Akritas Plan. The goal was again to annihiliate the Turkish Cypriot people and make Cyprus a Hellenic island.
While the Republic of Cyprus was transformed into a Greek Cypriot state by force of arms, hundreds of Turkish Cypriot villages were attacked between the 1963-1974 period, thousands of Turkish Cypriots were forced to migrate, and our people were subjected to genocide. Those responsible for these massacres and atrocities are the Greek Cypriot leadership and Greece, which formed and supported the EOKA terrorist organisation.
The aim of the coup carried out by the Greek Junta with its collaborators in Cyprus and EOKA on July 15, 1974 was again to to destroy the Turkish Cypriot people and make Cyprus a Hellenic island. If Motherland Turkey had not carried out the Peace Operation on the morning of July 20, 1974, not a single Turk would have been left alive in Cyprus.
In the face of all these facts , the statements made by the President of the Greek Cypriot Administration Nikos Anastasiades and the Greek leaders on the anniversary of the Greek uprising and the EOKA terrorist organization's armed actions are quite remarkable. Mr Anastasiades declaring that they are "inspired by the EOKA struggle" and the chanting of slogans such as "Cyprus is the island of Helen, Turks out" during the ceremonies show that the Greek Cypriot mentality has not changed.
Furthermore, we note the unfortunate statements such as "there can be no solution without the Turkish military leaving Cyprus and Turkey's guarantee being lifted".
While our calls to the Greek Cypriot side for dialogue regarding the Cyprus issue with all our goodwill and sincerity continue, it is unacceptable that the Greek Cypriot leadership pursues the dreams of the EOKA terrorist organisation, which is still impossible to realise, and makes statements that create tension and hostility.