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Community Information Service
November 16, 2015 / No:852

 
    

ATAA Celebrates the 32nd Anniversary of
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) 

Dear Fellow Turkish Americans and Friends of Turkey,
 
The Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) congratulates all Turkish Cypriots and Turks around the world on the 32nd Anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
 
As the search for a just and sustainable solution on the island of Cyprus continues, it is important to note that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is and will continue to be one of the cornerstones of peace, stability and reconciliation.    

The Turkish Cyprus Intervention of 1974 is one of two modern military interventions that improved human rights and democracy, the other being the British intervention in the Falkland Islands. The Turkish intervention of 1974 toppled the Greek junta in Greece and arrested anti-Turkish and anti-Muslim massacres by the Greek military and Greek Cypriot militias that had been campaigning for Greek and Greek Orthodox Christian homogeneity on the island since 1963 under the ineffective watch of United Nations Security Forces.

 

 

The Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also extended a hand of friendship to the Greek Cypriots and called for the peaceful resolution of all differences. That invitation of peace and friendship remains today.  In a referendum on the island, the overwhelming number of Turkish Cypriots voted for reunification according to the Annan Plan, while an overwhelming of Greek Cypriots voted against reunification.

 

As Americans, we support United States and United Nations policy to encourage a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation on the island based on equal rights for the Turkish Cypriot community.  

 

For a summary of the Cyprus dispute 1960 - 1994, please click here to read the fact statement in the federal case of Crist v. Turkey, in which Greek Cypriot land claims against Turkey were dismissed.     

For ATAA's Mission Report regarding Northern Cyprus, please click here.

  

Respectfully,   

   
Mehmet Toy
President
ATAA Board of Directors

Kursad Dogru

Chairman
ATAA Board of Trustees
ATAA, representing over 60 local chapters and 500,000 Turkish Americans throughout the United States, serves locally and in Washington DC to empower the Turkish American community through civic engagement, and to support strong US-Turkish relations through education and advocacy.  Established in 1979, ATAA is the largest, democratically elected Turkish American membership organization in the United States.  As a non-faith based organization, ATAA is open to people of diverse backgrounds.  The ATAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed under the laws of the District of Columbia. To learn more about ATAA, please visit www.ataa.org.

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