Nicosia: Tourism Deputy Minister, Costas Koumis, has called on the international community and the European Union to exert pressure to end Turkey's illegal occupation in Cyprus. Koumis emphasized that Ankara should abandon positions outside the agreed framework for a Cyprus solution and contribute to peace efforts.
According to Cyprus News Agency, during an event for the occupied Acheritou community, Koumis stressed Cyprus's continued demand for full cooperation from Turkey concerning the fate of missing persons. He highlighted that this is a duty to both the families affected and humanity at large.
Koumis reiterated that the President of the Republic and the government are steadfast in their pursuit to resume meaningful negotiations. The aim is to achieve a comprehensive, functional, and viable solution based on UN Security Council resolutions, the agreed framework, international law, and the principles and values of the European Union.
The Deputy Minister stated that the solution must end the occupation and division, reunite Cyprus and its people, and establish conditions of peace, freedom, and security for all lawful inhabitants of the island.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Numerous UN-led peace talks have failed to produce results due to what is seen as Turkish intransigence. The most recent negotiations, held in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended without resolution.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, near the end of his term, announced plans to convene another meeting in a broader format after adequate preparation, without providing a timeline. He has secured consensus from both sides and the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked with engaging the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto serves as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.
Since 1974, the fate of hundreds remains unresolved. A Committee on Missing Persons was established by agreement between the two community leaders, aiming to exhume, identify, and return the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.