Hospital Foundation Laid, Bypass Inaugurated with Erdoğan’s Participation

Held under the slogan “Crescent and Star, On the Same Path,” the events coincided with the 20 July Peace and Freedom Day and the 51st anniversary of Turkey’s military intervention on the island. The ceremonies took place at the presidential complex in North Nicosia.

In attendance were Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Speaker of Parliament Ziya Öztürkler, ministers, MPs, military officials, Turkish and Turkish Cypriot bureaucrats, and political party representatives. Erdoğan was accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, and Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Bekir Bozdağ.

The event began with the screening of a video titled Did You Think the Turkish Cypriots Were Alone?, commemorating the 1974 Turkish peace operation. This was followed by speeches from both President Tatar and President Erdoğan.

Using a live teleconference connection, Erdoğan and Tatar presided over the foundation-laying ceremony for the new Nicosia State Hospital, with Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Hakan Dinçyürek and Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu cutting the ribbon on site. Planned initially with a capacity of 320 beds, the hospital is set to become the largest and most advanced healthcare facility not only in the TRNC but across the entire island.

Erdoğan expressed hope that the hospital would rise rapidly, symbolizing solidarity between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people.

The teleconference continued with the official inauguration of the North Nicosia Overpass Interchange and connecting roads. The symbolic ribbon-cutting was attended by Public Works and Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı and Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu at the junction site, while Erdoğan and Tatar took part from the presidential complex.

A press release distributed after the event emphasized that Turkey’s 1974 intervention was not only a military achievement but a peace mission grounded in human rights and international law. It described the Peace Operation as a guarantee of security for Turkish Cypriots and a symbol of Turkey’s national unity and determination.