Turkey should leave the people of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to build together their common homeland in conditions of peace and security, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou has said.

Stephanou was addressing a memorial service in Limassol in honour of those who perished defending Cyprus’ democracy and freedom against the military coup engineered by the Greek junta in 1974. Five days later Turkey invaded the island occupying its northern third.

Cypriots have been trying to end Turkey’s occupation and to reunify the land and its people since 1974, Stephanou said, adding that unfortunately this has not been possible due to Turkey’s denial to implement UN Cyprus related resolutions.

Turkey, he noted, refuses to respect international law, which it continuously and fragrantly violates in Cyprus, maintaining via its negative and intransigent stance the occupation and de facto division of the island.

The Government Spokesman continued to say that Turkey’s aim is for the ‘faits accomplis’ of the occupation to become permanent and to upgrade the illegal regime in the occupied areas.

This, Stephanou said, is evident by the Turkish stance at the ongoing UN led negotiation process, which aims to reunify the island under a federal roof.
Despite the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to continue the talks, not only does the Turkish side refuse to do so but it also tries to provoke and create tensions in the region.

Turkey’s negative stance vis-à-vis UN resolutions cannot be tolerated by the international community, he stressed.

Turkey’s illegal actions undermine the credibility of the international community and place into doubt its readiness to work for the implementation of international law.

Stephanou further highlighted the fact that the people of Cyprus refuse to compromise with the occupation and the division of the island because “we know that the country’s and the people’s future may only be ensured through the end of the occupation and reunification”.