Parties mark Independence Day with calls for reunification

Political parties marked the 66th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus on Thursday with calls for renewed efforts to end the island’s division, warning against allowing the status quo to become permanent.

Alma, Edek, Dipa and the Cyprus Greens all issued statements to mark Independence Day, paying tribute to those who fought for Cyprus while stressing the importance of safeguarding the Republic and pursuing a solution of the Cyprus problem.

Alma said the anniversary came at an “extremely difficult and critical juncture”, with substantive negotiations yet to resume despite the efforts of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

It said Turkey continued to insist on a two-state solution while the time remaining before the end of Guterres’ term was dwindling.

The party said the response should be neither “fatalism” nor the creation of “false expectations for communication purposes”, calling instead for every avenue to be explored to break the deadlock and resume substantive negotiations on the basis of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

At the same time, it said preparations should be made for what comes next should current efforts fail.

“The Republic of Cyprus constitutes our strongest institutional and international foundation,” Alma said, warning against the consolidation of partition and the gradual distancing of the north from the prospect of a reunified Cyprus.

It also stressed that Turkish Cypriots were “not our opponents”, saying stronger links between the Turkish Cypriot community, the Republic and the European Union should form part of efforts towards reunification.

Edek described the Republic as the “common home” of Cypriots and their “institutional shield”, saying the struggle against occupation and for reunification must continue on the basis of international law, EU principles, democracy and human rights.

The party paid tribute to those who fought against British colonial rule, those who defended constitutional order during the 1974 coup and those who resisted the subsequent Turkish invasion.

Dipa similarly said ending the occupation and reunifying Cyprus remained the country’s “greatest national duty”.

The party said future generations should inherit “not a divided homeland which has grown accustomed to division, but a free, secure and reunified Republic”.

It reiterated its support for a “just, viable and functional” settlement based on UN Security Council resolutions, the agreed basis for a solution and the negotiating acquis reached up to the 2017 talks in Crans-Montana.

Reunification, it added, required political will, consistency, active diplomacy and the use of Cyprus’ international and European alliances.

The Greens meanwhile called on the government to pursue a solution “without tactical manoeuvring”, arguing that repeated changes in positions and tactics created additional risks and further diminished the prospects of a settlement.

It called on Cyprus to use its EU membership to push for greater European pressure on Turkey, arguing that the bloc should exert pressure “at least proportionate” to that applied against Russia.

Despite what it described as Turkey’s longstanding negative stance, the party said the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders had a responsibility to each approach the issue with sincerity, political will and courage and work towards substantive discussions.

“The continuation of the current status quo creates additional risks and brings negative consequences for our side,” the Greens said, warning that every interruption of negotiations allowed new faits accomplis to emerge.