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We are fighting to get rid of Turkish occupation, Cyprus President says


We focus our effort on getting rid of the Turkish occupation and the Turkish troops, said on Sunday the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, in a speech read by the Minister of Defence, Vassilis Palmas, during an event to commemorate the national anniversary of 1st April 1955, in Kyperounta village, in the Troodos mountains. April 1st 1955, marks the launch of the EOKA campaign to end British colonial rule, while seeking union with Greece.

“We feel the weight of responsibility towards their sacrifice and their struggles”, President Christodoulides said, referring to the fighters of the national liberation struggle, adding that as a State, “we are working daily, persistently and painstakingly to finally lift the deadlock in which the Turkish side has brought us and resume talks.”

The President added that “we are fighting with all our forces, having as an ally the international law, the European acquis and the UN resolutions, in order to get rid of the occupation and the Turkish troops, liberate and re
unify our homeland.”

The armed anti-colonial struggle lasted for four years and led to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, having three guarantor powers, Britain, Greece and Turkey.

In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupies since then 37% of the Republic’s territory. Cyprus is a full EU member state since 2004.

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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.

Source: Cyprus News Agency