The Gaza tragedy demonstrates the ongoing crimes against humanity and the dysfunctionality of institutions like the UN, UN Security Council, and international law. It also highlights the double standards and dark side of Western countries, which have always promoted human rights, democracy, ethical values, and freedom of expression. Cypriot Turks, who have experienced and continue to pay the price for isolation, are not strangers to this tragedy.
The 1963 Bloody Christmas attacks forced Cypriot Turks to abandon villages, towns, and properties, losing hundreds of martyrs. The 11 dark years until the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation saw citizens living in 39 settlements with no borders or communication, facing almost genocide in front of the world. These areas were deprived of state services by a unitary Greek state, denying tens of thousands of their basic needs. Turkish officials were forcibly removed from their jobs, and incomes of those in need were cut.
Approximately 56,000 Cypriot Turks, equivalent to half of the population at that time, managed to survive in tents with the aid of the UN, Red Cross, and Red Crescent. Despite inhumane practices endured by Turkish Cypriots, the Security Council members and the Western world preferred to watch events unfold, much like they do in Palestine today.
The Peaceful Operation conducted by Türkiye in 1974 to prevent the annexation of the island to Greece and ensure the safety of Turkish Cypriots demonstrates that preventing genocides requires active and effective intervention in the field.
The tragedy in Gaza without a guarantor state and daily war crimes by the Palestinian people highlight the cruelty of war, the oppression of the oppressed, the silence of the powerful, and human shame. The core issue is the forced imposing of one side’s sovereignty on the other, similar to past genocidal attempts.
The unhealthy and bigoted mindset that still elects mayors of all cities and municipalities within the borders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) despite nearly 50 years since considering itself the sole legitimate authority in Cyprus, can lead to potential disasters in Gaza. In a geography where Türkiyey’s effective and actual guarantorship and deterrence are absent, the ultimate result of the hegemonic mindset is evident. Rauf Raif Denktas, the founding President of the TRNC, frequently emphasized the importance of bringing the Turkish army to the island and the attainment of a state.
Ending suffering and tears in Gaza can only be achieved through an effective and actual guarantorship system ensuring the safety of the Palestinian people and a two-state solution, urgently. Recent events have highlighted the importance of living in secure countries with well-protected borders, such as Palestine, which is officially recognized by 139 UN member countries and is a full member of numerous international organizations.
The human tragedy in Gaza demonstrates the resilience of the Turkish Cypriot people, who have never questioned Türkiye’s guarantorship, even in the toughest conditions. The people of Cyprus, who have successfully overcame many trials to build their state, are conscious of security as the most vital element of life. President Ersin Tatar’s “two-state solution vision” in the 2020 elections is a response against the geopolitical realities and dangers of the chaotic period in the region.
The Turkish Cypriot people will protect their sacred lands, passed down from their ancestors, with the effective and actual guarantorship of Türkiye, and will never allow future generations to be tested by genocide. If the real aim of Western states, especially the US, in the region is peace, stability, and sustainable peace, the cooperation proposals put forward by the Turkish side and the new policy based on good neighborly relations between the two existing states on the island should be sincerely evaluated.
