We are going through an extremely critical period, with occupying Turkey having escalated its actions and aggressive rhetoric to a dangerous degree and proceeding to create a fait accompli on our occupied territories, Defence Minister Michael Giorgallas said on Wednesday. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Army, Navy and Air Force non-commissioned officers, Giorgallas said that “in this unstable and constantly changing geopolitical environment, the state bases its diplomatic efforts on the presence of a strong National Guard, as the main pillar of political and diplomatic power.” Addressing the new officers, the Defence Minister urged them to face “with patience and perseverance” any difficulty that will be presented before them and to become “an example of modesty, seriousness and selflessness” for their subordinates. For his part, the Chief of the National Guard Demokritos Zervakis said to the officers that “they should keep in mind that their top mission from now on is to defend the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus.” 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.
Source: Cyprus News Agency