LEFKOSA - Land Forces Staff Chairman General Ilker Basbug said on Saturday, ''in order to provide settlement of an atmosphere of lasting peace in Cyprus, the international community should recognize that two equal and sovereign state have been existing on the island and that a solution should be based on a new partnership between these equal and sovereign states.''
General Basbug arrived in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend tomorrow's ceremonies to mark July 20 Peace and Freedom Day.
TRNC Parliament Speaker Vehbi Zeki Serter, Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu, Turkish Ambassador to TRNC Hayati Guven, Turkish Peace Forces in Cyprus Commander General Necmettin Baykul and other high-level officials welcomed General Basbug at the airport.
Addressing journalists at the airport, General Basbug expressed his pleasure with coming to TRNC on the 29th anniversary of the Peace Operation.
General Basbug said, ''Turkey has adopted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's principle 'Peace at Home, Peace in the World' as its main rule. Therefore, Turkey has launched a peace operation by using is guarantorship authority stemming from international agreements in order to put an end to inhuman atrocities against Turkish Cypriot people and Greek Cypriot's dream of annexation in the pre-1974 period and to settle an atmosphere of peace. As a result of the operation, the ongoing atmosphere of peace has been settled in the island.''
''In order to provide settlement of an atmosphere of lasting peace in Cyprus, the international community should recognize that two equal and sovereign state have been existing on the island and that a solution should be based on a new partnership between these equal and sovereign states. Settlement of a lasting and fair peace can only be possible this way. Free movement, which was started by the Turkish Cypriot side, revealed rightfulness of this approach,'' he said.
Stressing that they had been observing armament activities of the Greek Cypriot side, General Basbug added, ''despite all kinds of developments, the Turkish Armed Forces will continue to protect rights and interests of Turkey in the island stemming from international agreements, and to fulfill its commitments towards Turkish Cypriot people stemming from historical ties. As a result, Turkish Cypriot people will never return to the dark days of the past. As the Turkish Armed Forces, we will continue to support Turkish Cypriot people's rightful and courageous struggle for existence.''
(UK-MS) 19.07.2003