Turkish vice president condemns attack on TRNC citizens by terror group EOKA
Cevdet Yilmaz says responsibility lies with the Greek Cypriot Administration over the Lefkosa attack.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz has condemned an attack targeting citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) by members of the EOKA terrorist organisation.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the attack carried out yesterday in the Buffer Zone in Lefkosa by remnants of the terrorist organisation EOKA, using stones and explosive materials against citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” Yilmaz wrote on Turkish social media platform NSosyal on Thursday.
He said responsibility for Wednesday’s attacks “lies with the Greek Cypriot Administration, which for decades has glorified and heroised murderers and terrorists, instilled in younger generations the perception that Turkish Cypriots are enemies and targets.”
Yilmaz added that Türkiye will continue to stand by the TRNC against such heinous attacks.
The incident occurred on the Greek Cypriot-controlled side of Lefkosa, where groups had gathered to mark the anniversary of the founding of the EOKA terrorist organisation on Wednesday.
Around noon, attackers used stones, sticks, and improvised explosives against civilians on the TRNC side of the city.
The terror organisation EOKA was founded in the mid-1950s by Greek Cypriot-origin Greek officer Georgios Grivas, aiming to end Cyprus’s status as a “British crown colony” and unite the island with Greece through an armed campaign.
Following the end of British rule and the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, the group carried out attacks targeting Turkish Cypriots and also killed Greek Cypriots who opposed its ideology.