ANKARA

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday congratulated the 36th foundation anniversary of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).  

In a tweet he said: "I congratulate the 36th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and pay tribute to the martyrs and veterans of the struggle for independence.

Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti’nin kuruluşunun 36. yıl dönümünü tebrik ediyor, bağımsızlık mücadelesinin aziz şehitlerini ve kahraman gazilerini hürmetle yad ediyorum. Anavatan ve garantör ülke olarak, milli davamız Kıbrıs’ın ve Kıbrıs Türkü’nün yanında yer almaya devam edeceğiz. pic.twitter.com/HrBf7YfyOd

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) November 15, 2019

TRNC was established on Nov. 15, 1983, almost a decade after Turkey’s Cyprus Peace Operation on the island, which stopped persecution and violence against Turkish Cypriots by ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriots.  

Turkey is a guarantor nation for the TRNC.