Cyprus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday “unequivocally” condemned the latest, “provocative statements” of the Turkish President regarding the illegal invasion of Cyprus in 1974, stating that it was taking all the necessary actions to inform international actors, including the United Nations and the EU.

Specifically, the Ministry, in a statement, “unequivocally condemns the new provocative statements of the Turkish President regarding the illegal invasion of Cyprus in 1974.”

With the completion of 50 years of occupation and continued violation of the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of Cypriots, it said, “the statements of the Turkish President constitute an insult to the victims of Turkish atrocities and remind the international community of the real intentions of the invader.”

“Public rhetoric based on threat, aggression and cynical expansionism, is in absolute dissonance with the principles and values of the European Union, the Charter of the United Nations and international legality”, it added.

The Turkish President’s statements, the Ministry said, were proof “of the ongoing threat to the territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus, and echo the ongoing violations on the ground and the consolidation of the Turkish military presence in occupied Cyprus”. It adds that they are part of the Turkish tactics undermining the effort for the resumption of the negotiations with the aim of reunifying Cyprus. “In no way, however, will they succeed in distracting us from our goal of resolving the Cyprus issue, ending the Turkish occupation and abolishing the anachronistic guarantees”, the Ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry said that it was taking all the necessary actions to inform the international actors, including the UN and the EU.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. 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.

In January, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar 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.