| President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias confirmed on Thursday that he has sent letters to the UN Secretary General and the Presidents of the European Council, Commission and Parliament, denouncing the arrogance with which Turkish officials are behaving towards Cyprus.President Christofias said he would not be revealing the content of the letters but noted that they refer to “the arrogance and cynicism with which the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and other Turkish officials behave towards Cyprus.“Replying to questions after a ceremony at the Presidential Palace to wish Happy Easter to the staff, President Christofias said that the Republic of Cyprus is closely following the intentions of Turkey to carry out explorations in Cyprus` exclusive economic zone, and is in close contact with the EU and Greece.“The situation is being closely monitored by the Republic of Cyprus. We are also in contact with the EU and with Greece, of course, because this is an issue that is of direct concern to Greece, and we are coordinating efforts in order to tackle any possible interventions and/or threats on behalf of Turkey in our exclusive economic zone.“During the ceremony, addressing the Presidential Palace staff, President Christofias said the Turkish side was displaying record arrogance and arbitrariness, noting that, “while our side is continuously trying to submit constructive and bridging proposals at the talks, the other side, due to the attention it is given by various sides, is unjustly appearing tough.“
He also pointed out that the Turkish occupation force was not respecting the Turkish Cypriots and that the Greek Cypriot side`s message was that the Turkish Cypriots are Cypriots and must be respected as equal citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.
President Christofias furthermore sent a message of optimism, love, respect and hope for the future to the refugees, the enclaved and the families of missing persons.
He also referred to the economy and unemployment, assuring that the Government was making every possible effort to solve the problems.
Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Talks are currently underway between the two communities to reunify the island. |
