Helenism will not stop fighting until Cyprus is united, until the wounds are healed, and until stability and peace return to the large island, said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Micotakis at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the coup and Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
„We do not accept the fait accompli. Our aspiration remains one: the Republic of Cyprus with one sovereignty in a bicommunal, bizonal federation in one state without a foreign occupation army, just as envisaged by the United Nations resolutions,“ Micotakis said, as reported by Katimerini.
According to him, the wound is still bleeding, and the north of the island is a prisoner of occupation.
„Aphrodite’s land is still divided. We still have missing persons and refugees,“ the Greek Prime Minister said.
He emphasized that „Greek-Turkish rapprochement helps the progress of the Cyprus issue.“
However, he added that, even though he is sincere towards Ankara, talks do not mean that the two sides agree.
„I trust the law and believe in our principles. There is always hope as long as what is being done on the ground is not done in the hearts of the Greek people and the international community,“ Micotakis said.
On the other hand, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, among other things in his speech, emphasized that 50 years after the dark summer of 1974, he wants to emphasize that for him, his generation, there is only one direction, and his main concern and priority are the end of occupation, liberation, and reuniting the country.
„We have no choice but to strive for the end of the occupation and the reunification of our homeland. We must rid ourselves of the occupation and divisions that corrode the strength and potential of Cyprus for further progress and prosperity, which nullify the vision of a unique, collectively prosperous homeland and do not allow our country to achieve its full potential,“ Christodoulidis emphasized.
He stated that there is an „inevitable need to end the current unacceptable status quo and restore basic freedoms and human rights for all Cypriots without exception.“
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the island of Cyprus.
Air raid sirens rang out across Cyprus this morning at 5:30 a.m., marking the time when the Turkish invasion began in 1974.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the ceremony in the northern part of divided Nicosia under Turkish control, said that Turkey supports a „two-state“ solution for Cyprus, adding that a federal solution is not possible.
