President Tatar addresses the ceremony held at the Erenköy Martyrs Cemetery in commemoration of the 59th Anniversary of the Glorious Erenköy Resistance
“Our answer to those who claim that our two State policy are just ‘empty words’ is the price paid by our martyrs and the barbaric genocides we have suffered”
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President Ersin Tatar participated in the ceremony commemorating the 59th anniversary of the Glorious Erenköy Resistance of the Turkish Cypriot People who defended the north-western strategically located coastal village against the attacks by Greek-Greek Cypriot forces and the EOKA terrorist organisation.
The Erenköy Resistance symbolises the determination of Turkish Cypriot People in defending their inherent rights in Cyprus at all costs. In August 1964, Greek Cypriot forces, headed by General George Grivas, carrying out attacks on Turkish Cypriots across the island, had also turned their attention to the village of Erenköy, which was the only port held by Turkish Cypriots at that time that could be used to import food, aid and security equipment from Türkiye to help Turkish Cypriots defend themselves. As the village became surrounded by Greek and Greek Cypriot troops, more than 500 Turkish Cypriot young university students studying abroad made their way there to help defend it. On August 6, 1964 Grivas’s forces launched an all-out attack on Erenköy, seeking to cut off the vital supply line. Surrounded, outgunned and outnumbered, the village defenders held out for two days until Türkiye brought the siege to an end by dispatching jets to launch an aerial attack. Eighteen Turkish Cypriots were martyred in the battle, which ended with the first intervention by the Republic of Türkiye, and the heroic Turkish Cypriots there succeeded in defending the village.
The Glorious Erenköy commemoration ceremony, which was held at the Erenköy Martyrs Cemetery, was also attended by high-level officials, veterans and members of the public, and commenced with the laying of wreaths that followed by a moments silence and the playing of the National Anthem as the flags of the Republic of Türkiye and TRNC were hoisted.
Addressing the ceremony, President Tatar said: “The epic resistance by our martyrs and veterans in Erenköy in August 1964 was a turning point in the struggle of our People against the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo and EOKA terrorist organisation. . .the attack on Erenköy came after the Turkish Cypriot People, who established the partnership Republic of Cyprus together with the Greek Cypriots on the basis of equality in 1960, were expulsed from the state apparatus in 1963 by force of arms, and island-wide attacks were being carried out against our People with the aim of achieving ENOSIS under the Akritas Plan.”
The President, who described the Erenköy battle of the Turkish Cypriot People as a “smaller version of the Çanakkale [Gallipoli] Victory in Türkiye," said: “Erenköy was our only strategically located coastal village where vital food, aid and security equipment to help Turkish Cypriots defend themselves was received from Türkiye. It was our only port and lifeline, which is why the Greek Cypriots attacked the village.”
President Tatar stated that it is “not possible to erase the Turkish Cypriot People from history,” and said that “the mujahideen and the People of the region gathered on the hills of Selçuklu, Alevkaya, Bozdağ and Dillirga, and fought for the preservation of our national unity and ultimately our survival at the expense of making the final sacrifice”.
President Tatar stated that Turkish jets had intervened under the leadership of pilot captain Cengiz Topel, following the message in the evening of August 7, 1964 of the commander in charge in the region, Rıza Vuruşkan, who had stated that “we are not able to resist the attacks any longer. . .if Türkiye is not going to intervene, than we will become martyrs with our honour and dignity”.
“The Glorious Erenköy Struggle was crowned with victory due to the determination of our martyrs and veterans who defended the village at all costs, when the attacking forces were stopped due to the intervention,” President Tatar said.
Stating that the “Erenköy victory was a significant turning point in the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People who were defending their inherent rights, their sovereignty and freedom,” the President added that this victory was a “morale boost for our People”.
President Tatar reacted to those who have been critical of his new policy and vision. “To those who say that the two State policy is empty, our answer is the price paid and sacrifices made by our people for many years, the martyrs, the cruel barbaric genocides and our struggle to live as inherent equals in this island,” he said. “The Turkish Cypriot People faced annihilation plans and it is our valiant, resistant people who struggled against this, who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and die for this cause.”
The President said: “We will never accept a return to the dark days of pre-1974 conditions, which is a policy fully supported by the Republic of Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We shall continue to walk with certainty to a bright future under the roof of our own State.”
President Tatar concluded his address by expressing his gratitude to the martyrs, the veterans and to Cengiz Topel, the pilot who had led the intervention in August 1964, whose jet had been shot down, who had parachuted to the ground but was captured, tortured and martyred by the Greek Cypriot forces.
President Tatar concluded his address expressing his gratitude to the martyrs and veterans, adding: “May all our martyrs rest in eternal peace and may our veterans live long and healthy lives.”