July 20, 1974, at 5:30 a.m.

Fifty-two full years have passed since the brutal Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The sirens sounded again, bringing back memories of that tragic morning when Turkish troops landed on the shores of Kyrenia, marking the beginning of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Since then, Turkey has continued to illegally occupy more than one-third of the island.

Codenamed “Attila,” the Turkish invasion began at 5:30 a.m. with amphibious and airborne operations in the coastal area of “Five Miles.” Paratroopers were dropping en masse, while Turkish infantry forces were landing on the beaches of Kyrenia. A total of about 40,000 men took part, under the command of Lieutenant General Nurettin Ersin. The code phrase for the start of the invasion was: “Ayşe can go on vacation.”

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The phrase “Ayşe can go on vacation” was not linked to the start of the first phase of the invasion on July 20. It served as the code phrase for the launch of the second phase, known as “Attila II,” on August 14, 1974. With the collapse of the Geneva talks, this code gave the green light for the continuation of the Turkish advance and the occupation of approximately 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

Who is Ayşe, who “came on vacation” to Cyprus in 1974?

July 20, 1974, at 5:30 a.m.

Fifty-two full years have passed since the brutal Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The sirens sounded again, bringing back memories of that tragic morning when Turkish troops landed on the shores of Kyrenia, marking the start of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Since then, Turkey has continued to illegally occupy more than one-third of the island.

Codenamed “Attila,” the Turkish invasion began at 5:30 a.m. with amphibious and airborne operations in the coastal area of “Five Miles.” Paratroopers were dropping en masse, while Turkish infantry forces were landing on the beaches of Kyrenia. A total of about 40,000 men took part, under the command of Lieutenant General Nurettin Ersin. The code phrase for the start of the invasion was: “Ayşe can go on vacation.”

READ ALSO: The house in Deneia that became… a guard post: how Attila “dashed” Mrs. Myroulla’s dreams (VIDEO)

The phrase “Ayşe can go on vacation” was not linked to the start of the first phase of the invasion on July 20. It served as the code phrase for the launch of the second phase, the so-called “Attila II,” on August 14, 1974. With the collapse of the Geneva talks, this code gave the green light for the continuation of the Turkish advance and the occupation of approximately 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

Who is Ayşe, the woman who “came on vacation” to Cyprus in 1974?

Two years earlier, the woman behind Attila’s slogan “Ayşe is going on vacation,” revealed her identity and sparked reactions, declaring herself proud and happy to have become a “symbol” of the Turkish invasion.

She is the academic, author, and professor Ayşe Güneş Ayata, daughter of Turan Güneş, who served as Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Turkish invasion. She even names him as the mastermind behind the slogan used during the second phase of the Turkish invasion on August 14, 1974.

READ ALSO: The Day Cyprus Was Plunged into Darkness: A Chronicle of the Turkish Invasion That Brought Devastation and Death to the Island

In her first interview with the illegal “Turkish Cypriot news agency TAK,” Ms. Gunes revealed why she had not wanted to speak about this particular issue in previous years, even though every year as the dark anniversary of the invasion approaches, the Turkish press contacts her with requests for interviews.

“This is a memory I’m very proud of, one that makes me happy, one I care about, one I try to preserve, and one I can pass on to my daughter… My name is a symbol; I am not the hero of this event. The heroes of this event are my father, Turan Güneş, Bülent Ecevit, and, of course, the Turkish Armed Forces.  If I focused too much on this issue, I would be assigning myself a role that isn’t mine. If I talked about it constantly, it might take on a different meaning… And as a professor of political science, even if I have my own opinion on the Cyprus issue, it may not always align with the significance of this symbol. That’s why, all these years, I haven’t dealt with any issues of a political nature… The reason I decided to speak out this year is because it’s the fiftieth anniversary…”.

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Agyata stated that she traveled to Cyprus for the first time in December 1974 as part of a large delegation that included then-Prime Minister Ecevit and her father.

“At that time, there was no civilian airport, so we traveled by ship. It was also Bülent Ecevit’s first visit to Cyprus after the operation. We were welcomed by a large crowd at the port of Famagusta. When the crowd realized I was the “Ayşe” from the slogan and started shouting my name, I got so excited that I almost fell down the stairs. My parents were afraid I’d break something… They welcomed us and treated us very well. The late Denktash gave us a tour of Cyprus…”.

She noted that her second visit to Cyprus, in October 1976, remained unforgettable, as Denktash invited her there for her honeymoon, showed her every corner of Cyprus, and hosted her for dinner at his home.

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_{^{*With information from the Press and Information Office.}}

_{^{*Photos: TRT Haber.}}