The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, attended a memorial service on Monday for those who fell during the Turkish invasion and a prayer service for the liberation of Cyprus.
The service, led by Archbishop Georgios was held at the Apostle Barnabas Cathedral, in Nicosia. Also in attendance were the Vice-President of the Greek Government, Kostis Hatzidakis, the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, the Minister of Defence, Vasilis Palmas, and other officials.
Following the service, the former Chair of the House Committee on Education, Pavlos Mylonas, delivered an address in which he referred to the need for perseverance, unity and faith in the principles of justice to achieve Cyprus’ freedom.
He said that 20 July 1974 was the darkest day in the island’s history, due to the Turkish invasion, “that changed the destiny of Cyprus forever”.
“The settlement of the Cyprus issue must be based on respect for international law, human rights and the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus”, he said, stressing that this struggle is directed against neither any people nor the Turkish Cypriots. “It is directed against the occupation and the violation of international law”, Mylonas said.
He added that the aim is for future generations to live together in a peaceful and secure Cyprus, free from occupying troops and without intervention rights or systems of guarantees. Achieving this goal, he said, requires unity, and that there is no room today for petty party-political disputes, but only for a shared responsibility towards the homeland.
He called on everyone to stand alongside the President of the Republic “in this difficult endeavour.”
Among other remarks, Mylonas said that nations lose victory when they lose faith. “We have not lost our faith, nor can we lose it. We have not lost our dignity. Nor have we lost our hope”, he said. “We will continue with perseverance, unity and faith in the principles of justice until the day Cyprus is truly free”, he said.
In his own address, the Vice-President of the Greek Government, Kostis Hatzidakis, said that Greece and Cyprus remain “in constant cooperation and coordination” in pursuit of a settlement of the Cyprus issue. He expressed the hope and conviction that today’s 52nd anniversary of the Turkish invasion would be the last to be marked under these circumstances.
“Greece and Cyprus bow with profound respect before all those who fell, the missing, and the surviving veterans who, during the adverse and tragic days of that dark summer of 1974, resisted in defence of the freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus”, Hatzidakis said.
He noted that throughout the 52 years of occupation, the Republic of Cyprus, as a member state of the United Nations and the European Union, “has endured and continues to endure this ordeal”.
“However, we all have a duty to ensure that this struggle is ultimately vindicated. Our overriding objective is the end of the Turkish occupation and the reunification of Cyprus”, he added.
He stressed that the objective is a mutually acceptable settlement based on the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, one that will ensure the application of the European acquis throughout the entire territory of Cyprus for all its lawful residents. Such a settlement, he said, must also free Cyprus from occupying troops and from the outdated system of guarantees and intervention rights exercised by Turkey or any third country in Cypriot affairs.
“To this end, Greece and Cyprus remain in constant cooperation and coordination”, he said, expressing Athens’ support for the ongoing initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, who, he noted, has linked his tenure to efforts aimed at resuming negotiations and achieving an agreed settlement of the Cyprus issue.
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 due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.
