The unreasonable and illegal Turkish demands cannot in any way be accepted, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said, in a speech at the funeral service of sergeant Theotokis Orfanou who was member of the commando forces and was killed during the Turkish invasion of 1974.
Photiou said that 48 years after the dark summer of 1974, we continue to bury the remains of our heroes who were killed and went missing since, adding the missing persons issue deeply concerns the government. We are aiming to ascertain the fate of all missing persons and bring peace to their relatives, he noted.
Around 750 of our compatriots are still missing, including Greeks, he said, adding the occupation force has enormous responsibilities and with its tactics is preventing and arrogantly ignores our pleas to implement international court decisions. It is unacceptable, he added “and inhumane that the occupation force refuses to cooperate effectively with sincerity to resolve the humanitarian aspect of the missing persons’ issue”.
He said we are witnessing a period during which the revisionist stance and the neo-Ottoman approach of Turkey is evident as it is expressed both against Cyprus, Greece and other countries.
Photiou said as declares President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, our position remains strictly dedicated to finding a solution that is based on High level Agreements, the UN resolutions and of course, the principles and values of the EU.
A solution, he added, that will provide for an end to the anachronistic guarantee pact and presence of occupation troops, a functional and viable solution that will safeguard most of all the human rights of all the people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
He praised the sacrifice of Theotokis Orfanos, who did not hesitate to lose his life for his country, defending freedom and Cyprus’ territorial integrity over Bellapais in the Kyrenia mountains while fighting against the Turkish advance.
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.
Source: Cyprus News Agency