President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, requested on Friday in writing from the Turkish Cypriot leader to visit the Anthropological Laboratory of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) together, “to send a positive message”. He said he addressed the issue in writing to the UN Secretary-General as well.
President Christodoulides was speaking following the memorial service at the church of St. Constantine and Helen for those who fell during the coup d’ état, 49 years ago on Saturday.
At the same time, the President underlined that the Greek Cypriot side will continue to send positive messages, hoping for a response. He also stressed that accepting anything that leads to a different form of solution beyond the agreed framework of the bicommunal, bizonal federation is not on the table for discussion.
Speaking to journalists after the memorial service for those who fell during the coup d’ état on July 15, 1974, the President was invited to comment on Turkish plans in the fenced off area of Varosha. “Certainly, the passage of time creates new fait accompli, such as this one”, he said. “We will take all diplomatic and political measures, but the only way to prevent the fait accompli is the resolution of the Cyprus problem”, adding that “there is no other way”.
“We are approaching July 20th, and as you can imagine, there will be celebrations in the occupied areas”, he added.
The coup staged by the Athens` junta against the elected government of President Makarios served Turkey as a pretext to impose its divisive plans against Cyprus. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, violating all rules of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations.
President Christodoulides said “there is no Plan B” and “we will do everything possible”, adding that he will not engage in a blame game, especially publicly. “Every day, through our actions, we are trying to create those conditions for the resumption of negotiations,” he said. For this reason, he addressed “both the UN Secretary-General and the Turkish Cypriot leader in writing, requesting that in the coming period, around the end of July, beginning of August, we visit the Anthropological Laboratory together regarding the issue of the missing”.
“We have the dark anniversaries, July 20th, so many missing persons”, the President said and added that this concerns “a purely humanitarian issue, in order to send a positive message, and our side will continue to send positive messages, hoping for a response”.
President Christodoulides talked about “some other thoughts that we have already processed, demonstrating our good will, so that the conditions for the resumption of negotiations can be created, which is the great national goal”.
When asked if these thoughts concern Turkish Cypriots or the negotiation process, the President replied these thoughts concern “our Turkish Cypriot compatriots and, in general, the negotiations and anything that can lead to the creation of conditions that will allow the resumption of substantive negotiations from where they left off at Crans-Montana”.
Asked how negotiations can resume if the Turkish Cypriot side raises the issue of sovereign equality, the President of the Republic clarified that “the acceptance of anything that leads to a different form of solution beyond the agreed framework of a bicommunal, bizonal federation is not even on the table for discussion”.
“We will not engage in such a discussion, and neither will the international community”, he stated, adding that “you have seen the clear position of the United Nations Security Council after the recent discussion”. “The agreed framework is there, the agreed framework can address concerns, and I am ready to discuss concerns and worries, but always within the agreed framework”, he added.
In his remarks, President Christodoulides also urged people to talk to the younger generation about what happened in Cyprus.
“We have an obligation to talk to our children about what happened on July 15th”. He said we must demonstrate through our actions that we have taken the messages from what had happened on July 15 to heart.
“We honour the memory of all those who fought to defend what is most important to us, the Republic of Cyprus,” while “at the same time, we unequivocally condemn the planned senseless coup, the treacherous coup by the junta in Athens and its collaborators in Cyprus”, the President of the Republic added.
President Christodoulides stated that “beyond such necessary ceremonies, we should also convey the correct messages”, adding that today holds two things. “The first is that all of us who are temporarily involved, especially all of us who participate in the public life of the country, must demonstrate through our daily behaviour that we have taken the messages from what happened on July 15th, 1974 to heart”.
The second, he continued, is that “we have an obligation to talk to our children about what happened on this day. It may have been 49 years, but nothing, absolutely nothing, is guaranteed”. The President of the Republic stated that “speaking with the younger generation of our country many times, I feel that we do not talk about or inform them about the situation”.
According to President Christodoulides, although education is very important, he is referring to the personal responsibility that each of one has to speak, “to dedicate a few minutes to explain what happened because democracy is not guaranteed.” “We have seen the consequences of what was attempted on July 15th, 1974, which we still experience today”.
The President of the Republic also attended the special session of the House of Representatives to mark the coup and invasion and then laid a wreath at the Resistance Monument in the Presidential Palace grounds.
