50th Anniversary of Peace and Freedom: Where and When to Watch the Air Show and Ship Parade

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation—Peace and Freedom Day—on July 20, the Turkish Armed Forces will organize parades featuring naval ships and aircraft in the TRNC, along with an air show by the Turkish Stars aerobatic team.

• “The official sea parade will feature 50 ships and 12 naval aircraft, including elements of the Navy Command, while the air demonstrations will be performed by the Turkish Stars aerobatic team of the Air Force Command,” stated the Security Forces Command.

The air parade will include two Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA combat drones and four F-16 fighter jets. The maritime parade, consisting of 50 ships, will be led by the Turkish multipurpose amphibious ship TCG Anadolu. A 50-gun salute will also be conducted.

The Bayraktar AKINCI (TIHA) unmanned aerial vehicles, developed by Baykar, have already completed a historic flight for the event. The drones took off from the AKINCI flight training and testing center and successfully landed at TRNC’s Ercan Airport after approximately 3 hours in the air.

The official program, including the sea parade and air show, will take place on Saturday, July 20, in front of the Kyrenia Dome Hotel from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Additionally, the 50th-anniversary events will feature performances by Turkish stars, concerts with renowned artists accompanied by a marching Janissary band, the Happy Peace Operation seminar, conferences, symposiums, sports competitions, tree planting, documentary screenings, and events in sister cities. Special commemorative stamps and coins will also be issued for the anniversary.

Previously, it was reported that the celebrations would start with the “Dawn Patrol” at Yavuz-Landing Beach.