ANKARA 

Turkey on Monday 'strongly' condemned the burning of Turkish Cypriot flag during protests in the Greek Cypriot side on the former's foundation anniversary.

"Such racist attacks encouraged by the Greek Cypriot Administration and Greek authorities will never prevent the TRNC [Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] flag from forever flying high on the island," the Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

"A flag is a nation's honour," the ministry added.

TRNC was established on Nov. 15, 1983, almost a decade after Turkey’s 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation on the island, which stopped persecution and violence against Turkish Cypriots by ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriots. Turkey remains as the guarantor for the TRNC.