Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pulled out of in-person attendance at this year's 52nd anniversary celebratio...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pulled out of in-person attendance at this year's 52nd anniversary celebrations of Turkey's 1974 invasion of Cyprus, sending Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz in his place. Yilmaz had visited the occupied north just one week earlier to sign a deal for a natural gas pipeline connecting northern Cyprus to Turkey. The project is now expected to dominate the anniversary celebrations, with Turkish media reporting the pipeline will stretch 100 kilometres, 97 of which run underwater, with a capacity of up to 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year. Turkish officials say the pipeline will initially carry gas from Turkey into the occupied north. A later phase could potentially route Levantine gas deposits through Turkey toward European markets, raising further concerns about energy control in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkish naval vessels will arrive to mark the occasion, with the submarine Inonu, warship Zipkin, and frigate Gokova all set to go on display. F-16 fighter jets dispatched to the occupied north back in March will also fly over the military parade. Turkey refers to the 1974 invasion, in which its forces seized roughly 37 percent of the island, as a "peace operation." Cyprus, Greece, and the international community reject that framing entirely. The anniversary is being marked on July 20, which is today. #Cyprus #Turkey #EasternMediterranean