Nicosia: A settlement of the Cyprus issue will solve the illegality of usurpations, President stresses. The solution to the illegality in relation to the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus is the settlement of the Cyprus problem, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, has stressed. "My message to our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, to the Turkish Cypriot leader, to Turkey, is in no way threatening. It is a message that, if they truly have the political will, I invite them to the negotiating table, so that through negotiations the Cyprus problem can be resolved and all these illegalities can be addressed. Illegalities that have existed for 51 years now," he noted.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the President, who visited on Tuesday the Filoxenia Conference Center in Nicosia, was invited by journalists to comment on statements by Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman on the usurpation issue. "The solution to this illegality in relation to the usurpation of properties in the occupied areas, based on international law, based on decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, is the resolution of the Cyprus problem," he said.
Meanwhile, asked about an incident of harassment against Greek Cypriot farmers in the buffer zone by the occupation forces, President Christodoulides said that he has been informed of a serious incident that occurred last night and publicly condemned it. "Since last night the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the farmer involved in the incident, we are in constant contact with him. We are in constant contact with the United Nations, the Cyprus Police have also been informed about the matter and it is an incident that we are taking very seriously," the President said.
He stressed, "this is an unacceptable action that took place, and, I repeat, apart from the United Nations, which we informed from the very beginning, we are taking all necessary measures as a priority, because this is what interests us most, the safety of the residents, the safety of the farmer, of the farmers who are active in the specific areas."
Replying to a journalist's remarks that provocations by the occupation army contradict the understanding reached during his meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, to avoid actions that cause tension, the President of the Republic said that it is an issue that he will raise during his next meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, for creating the necessary environment that will allow conditions for the resumption of talks. "Let me note that the pirate actions, because these are pirate actions, that took place yesterday, come from the occupation Turkish army," he concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.