Reunification still the goal says president as Cyprus remembers invasion (Updated)

Liberation from third-party dependencies and reunification are still the goals said President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday as Cyprus marked 48 years since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

A memorial service was held at the Saint Barnabas cathedral while a tribute was paid at the Tomb of Makedonitissa commemorating those who fell during the Turkish invasion.

Attending on behalf of President Anastasiades was Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides whose address was marked by the shouting of anti-federal slogans by a group of young people.

“Today is not a day for slogans or immoderate comments, but a day for self-awareness and national reflection so as to find a way out of this impasse,” Petrides said in response.

“We honour victims, Greeks and Cypriots, who fell for this land and have not been vindicated to this day,” Petrides added.

President Anastasiades, who was not in attendance as he has Covid, issued his remarks in a Twitter post.

“Today we honour the heroes who fell defending the democracy and territorial integrity of our homeland. We honour their relatives and the relatives of those missing. We honour prisoners of war and those injured. 48 years later, Cyprus still suffers from the brutal consequences of the invasion.” Anastasiades said.

“We shall never accept the option of surrendering. Our goal remains to reunify Cyprus, liberated from third-party dependencies, truly provide a potential for peaceful coexistence to all legal citizens within the framework of the acquis communautaire and EU values,” he added.

He also said that despite painful efforts, Turkey continues to exhibit the same intransigence, noting that “the Turkish obsession on unacceptable demands incoherent to modern states derailed every negotiation effort.”

Attending the memorial were members of the Cypriot political and military leadership and other officials and citizens.

Among them, were House president Anita Demetriou, army chief Demokritos Zervakis, representatives and leaders from political parties, from the Greek parliament and members from organisations of relatives of the fallen, captured and missing.

Laying wreaths were -among others, finance minister Constantinos Petrides and Greek national defence deputy minister Nikos Chardalias.

After laying wreaths at the monument, political parties issued statements condemning the invasion and demanding the resumption of negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus issue.

Both ruling Disy and main opposition party Akel called for negotiations to pick up from where they stopped at Crans Montana in 2017.

“We are not in a position to relay positive news today, as the Cyprus issue is at the worst it has ever been,” Akel’s statement read.

“Turkey is exploiting and weaponising the prolonged impasse to create new faits accomplis and in this way consolidate partition,” it read.

President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a Twitter post also commemorated the day referring to the constant struggle for the island’s reunification based on UN decisions and international law principles.

“48 years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the trauma of the illegal occupation remains deep,” she said.

“We will always remember those who sacrificed their freedom for Cyprus and claim its reunification based on UN decisions and principles of international law,” she concluded.