FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Sirens sounded across Cyprus at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, marking the moment Turkish forces landed on the island’s northern coast in 1974.
The day commemorates the 51st anniversary of the invasion, observed as a national tragedy and a symbol of the country’s ongoing division.
Memorials and commemorative services are held throughout the free areas of Cyprus. An official prayer service takes place at the Tomb of Makedonitissa, attended by the president. At 10 a.m., the annual tribute to the fallen is held at the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas in Nicosia.
This evening at 8:30, the Presidential Palace hosts a remembrance event marking both the coup and the invasion. The president is scheduled to speak.