Both sides should learn and respect the other’s histories, president says

President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday said Cyprus needed to follow the examples of other European countries and that both sides of the divide need to learn and respect each other’s history.

His comments come after Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar criticised the actions of the Greek Cypriot side.

In his statements, Tatar had appealed to the Greek Cypriot side “to end the actions that cause tension and to approach positively the calls of the Turkish Cypriot side for dialogue”, while noting that praise for Eoka, which he described as a “terrorist organisation”, slogans such as “Turks out of Cyprus” and “the escalation of hostility towards the Turks showed that the anachronistic perception of the Greek Cypriot leadership has not changed and that it remains the same.”

Speaking to Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Christodoulides said he would not engage in a blame game criticising either Tatar or Turkey and sent a message to Tatar and the Turkish Cypriots.

“We need to learn to respect each other’s history as is the case in all European countries,” he said.

“I am here to handle the Cyprus problem through substantive moves and not through daily statements,” Christodoulides stressed.

The president said his government was analysing how it can break the deadlock through diplomatic leveraging abroad, which he hopes will be successful, with a particular push focused on happening straight after elections in Turkey have taken place.

Asked to which countries he will soon make the trips he referred to, he said that “soon announcements will be made in this direction, but they are certainly the countries that on the one hand show a particular interest in the Cyprus problem, but most importantly can play a role in our effort to break the deadlock,” he added.

Meanwhile, regarding Eoka and statements made from time to time, that by celebrating anniversaries such as April 1, “we do not move away from the solution of the Cyprus problem”.

“On the contrary, what we must realise is that it is not through self-abolition, but through learning to respect each other’s history, as is done for example in all European countries, and this is my message to both Mr Tatar and all our Turkish Cypriot compatriots.” added President Christodoulides.