Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a speech he delivered to Turkish military personnel at a dinner Monday, not only defended the Turkish invasion of Cyprus but went even further by arguing that if Turkish forces had moved further south in 1974, then Cyprus might be all Turkish today
More specifically, Erdogan said:
“Half a century ago, the Turkish Cypriots came back from the brink of genocide. In the Peace Operation of 1974, 498 of our soldiers from all corners of the country, officers, non-commissioned officers and civilians, were martyred. Despite all the pressures, if it were not for Turkey’s intervention, neither the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus nor the Turkish Cypriots would exist today. In fact, perhaps if we had pushed south, and I say this as a child of the present, there would be no more south and north, and Cyprus would be completely ours.”
Second Aircraft Carrier
"We have now built our aircraft carrier. But that's not enough. We are determined to build a second, even bigger one. Our generals and the navy commanders, along with their teams, are currently leading this effort. Our work doesn't stop there. We are also striving to develop unmanned submarines, and with perseverance, we will achieve that goal as well."
Alliances Are Not Enough
Tayyip Erdogan reiterated the importance of Turkey's defensive independence from other countries and the limitations of alliances.
"Recent experiences have shown us that when needed, neither the alliances we belong to nor international organizations responsible for maintaining world peace are truly helpful. This is why we consistently prioritize a domestic and national defense industry, aiming for a fully self-sufficient Turkey in all aspects."
