The international community, the UN and the EU cannot keep on showing tolerance towards Turkey, said Commissioner Photis Photiou, in a memorial service held Saturday for the heroes and missing persons of Dromolaxia-Meneou communities in Larnaka.

He noted that our side is taking initiatives for the missing persons with the aim to get Turkey to cooperate on this humanitarian issue, calling on everyone who has information on missing persons to come forward as time is not on our side and the ordeal of the relatives needs to end.

Photiou said that currently Turkey is escalating its provocations and threats and speak of the need to recognize the puppet state and the political equality of the Turkish Cypriots, adding that this as well as the provocations in Varosha, violate the UN resolutions and the international law.

He also pointed out that will keep on fighting for the reunification of our island and for a last and viable solution.

Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974. Numerous UN backed talks to reunite the island have failed to yield results.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced on Tuesday a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha.

On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.