Denktaş: The Presence of Turkish Soldiers Has Brought Stability to the Entire Island

He noted, "From 1963 to 1974, the Greek Cypriot government, which occupied the state of which we were equal partners, provided infrastructure like electricity, water, and roads to Greek villages while depriving Turkish villages of these necessities. They deliberately tried to impoverish the Turks. The events of July 20 are the result of the Greek junta's attempt to achieve Enosis by starting a coup, following a period during which 103 Turkish villages were burned."

Denktaş described July 20 as the day of freedom for Turks after a period of suffering, recalling then Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit’s words, “We are going to the island to bring peace not only to the Turks but also to the Greeks.” He added, “Since that day, both Turks and Greeks have experienced peace on the island. We no longer kill each other, we no longer point weapons at each other. Peace has been established. The issue now is to resolve the political problem. The blame lies not with Denktaş but with the Greeks, and the responsibility lies with the United Nations for granting them these rights and authority.”

Denktaş stressed that the presence of Turkish soldiers has provided security and stability to the entire island. He pointed out that even Greek businesspeople trust the Turkish soldiers, saying, “The presence of Turkish soldiers prevents our people from doing something foolish,” allowing them to continue their investments comfortably.

"WE WILL IMPROVE WITHOUT LOSING HOPE"

Despite all the negative aspects, Denktaş acknowledged that life on the island has improved for both sides since July 20. He stated, “Since that day, living conditions on the island have improved for both sides. We must continue to work towards bettering ourselves without losing hope. We need to understand July 20 genuinely and seek ways to use the environment it has provided us to our advantage.”

"THE GREEKS MUST IMMEDIATELY EXPLAIN THE ACCUSATIONS"

Responding to questions about the arrests made by the Greek side concerning property sales, Denktaş said the Greeks are making selective arrests, yet the government has not taken any substantial steps in response. “The government should have found out the charges for each arrest, but there has been no such initiative. We have a magnificent mechanism in the Property Compensation Commission. As Denktaş said during his time, if a similar commission had been established in the South for the compensation of Turkish properties, these relations would have been easier. We now need to quickly initiate a legal process. What needs to happen is to bring up a legal process and, if the Greek side rejects it, for Turkey to take it to international courts,” he concluded.