Nicosia: The reality in Cyprus is that there has been an illegal occupation for 50 years, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides stressed on Saturday, when invited to comment on the Turkish President’s statement about “realities” on the island.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the President addressed the Turkish President’s illegal visit to the Turkish-occupied territory of Cyprus, noting the strong and growing reaction from Turkish Cypriot compatriots. He emphasized that Turkish President Erdogan’s references to “realities” in Cyprus did not introduce anything new and highlighted the ongoing illegal occupation of Cyprus, drawing parallels to international condemnations of similar situations like in Ukraine.
President Christodoulides also mentioned the unexpected expanded meeting that took place in Geneva, contradicting earlier Turkish assertions that it would lead to a deadlock. He confirmed a scheduled conference around the end of July and noted that the United Nations Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Mara ngela Holgun Cu©llar, will commence her role on May 12th.
The President expressed hope that Holgun’s involvement would lead to developments towards resolving the Cyprus issue. He acknowledged ongoing mobility on their part to bring positive developments towards the resumption of talks, while noting that they are not yet at the negotiation stage.
In response to Erdogan’s and Tatar’s rhetoric ahead of his meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, President Christodoulides stated his lack of surprise at their public statements. He confirmed an upcoming meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader focused on specific subjects, reiterating commitments made to the UN Secretary-General and efforts to implement them.
Cyprus has faced division since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, Turkish intransigence has hindered progress. The latest negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ended without resolution. The UN Secretary-General announced an informal meeting on Cyprus at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva in March.