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Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz sharply criticized a European Parliament resolution concerning Türkiye's 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, calling it legally and morally baseless and accusing the body of acting under the influence of Greek Cypriot lobbying.
Speaking to reporters following a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex, Yilmaz responded to a question about the European Parliament's decision regarding the 1974 operation.
"The decision taken by the European Parliament has no legal or moral basis whatsoever. For this reason, we consider the decision null and void and reject it in the clearest terms," Yilmaz said.
"Unfortunately, the European Parliament acted under the influence of Greek Cypriot lobbies on this issue and displayed an attitude that undermines its impartiality. This approach also damages the institutional credibility of the European Parliament," he added.
"The EU, by violating its own principles, lost the ability to view the Cyprus issue impartially from the date it admitted the Greek Cypriot administration as a member," the Turkish official noted.
Yilmaz argued that if a historical wrong deserving condemnation were genuinely being sought, attention should instead turn to the historical circumstances that necessitated the Cyprus Peace Operation.
"The coup that took place and the atrocities of the EOKA gangs should be remembered," he said.
"On the other hand, the silence displayed by the European Parliament in the face of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza today, before the eyes of the entire world, should be questioned. It is unacceptable for those who fail to show the necessary sensitivity in the face of such grave crimes against humanity to make politically motivated decisions on the Cyprus issue," the Turkish vice president noted.
Yilmaz said peace and security had come to the island following the 1974 Peace Operation carried out by what he called Türkiye's "heroic army," and that this applied not only to Turkish Cypriots but to Greek Cypriots as well.
"For more than the past 50 years, the Peace Operation has played a decisive role in preserving peace, security, economic development and democratic stability on the island," he added.
The Turkish vice president noted that Ankara had carried out the 1974 operation within the framework of guarantor rights and responsibilities stemming from international agreements, thereby preventing far greater tragedies from unfolding on the island.
He said that had those steps not been taken at the time, Cyprus could have witnessed suffering similar to what he described as the humanitarian tragedy currently being witnessed in Gaza.
Yilmaz said he hoped members of the European Parliament would adopt a fairer and more balanced approach grounded in historical facts, free from the influence of ideological and lobbying activities.
"The duty of the European Parliament is not to serve the political calculations of certain circles, but to defend Europe's core values, the rule of law and fairness," he said.
"We expect them to act in accordance with this responsibility," Yilmaz concluded.
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