Greek Cypriots are in mourning and Turkish Cypriots are rejoicing as the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of part of the island is marked, with the prospects for reconciliation looking slimmer than ever, Reuters reports in its response from Cyprus.
“The divided island is a persistent source of tension between Greece and Turkey, which are both NATO partners but are at odds on many issues. Their differences were on display on Saturday, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan taking part in a celebratory military parade in northern Nicosia to mark the day Turkish forces launched an offensive they call a “peacekeeping operation,” the news agency noted.
And it added that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to attend a commemoration in southern Nicosia for what Greeks call a barbaric Turkish invasion. Air raid sirens sounded across the area at dawn. Mr Mitsotakis posted on his LinkedIn page an image of a blood-stained map of Cyprus with the words “Half a century since the national tragedy of Cyprus”.
At the same time, there was joy in the north. “The peacekeeping operation in Cyprus saved Turkish Cypriots from cruelty and brought them freedom,” Erdogan told the crowd gathered to watch the parade despite the sweltering midday heat, criticizing the other side for having a “bad attitude.”
Peace talks have stalled as the two sides push two irreconcilable concepts – Greek Cypriots want reunification as a federation. Turkish Cypriots want a two-state settlement. Erdogan has left the window for dialogue open, although he has said a federal solution, which is supported by Greek Cypriots and most of the international community, is “impossible”. “We are ready for negotiations, for meetings and for the establishment of a long-term peace and resolution in Cyprus,” he said.
![Cyprus: 'One part of the island mourns, the other celebrates' - Reuters on Europe's only divided region 1 kipros fiesta](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/kipros-fiesta.jpg)
Reuters notes that matters are complicated by the claims of each side and significant hydrocarbon discoveries in the region in recent years.
Different images and narratives
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis stressed: “Our mission is liberation, reunification and resolution of the Cyprus issue,” he said. “If we really want to send a message on this tragic anniversary … it is to do everything possible to reunify Cyprus.” Turkey, he said, remains responsible for violating human rights and international law in relation to Cyprus.
Across the south, religious services were held to honor the more than 3,000 people who lost their lives in the Turkish invasion.
“It was a betrayal of Cyprus and many children were lost. It wasn’t just my son, it was many,” said Loukas Alexandrou, 90, as he tended his son’s grave in a military cemetery.
![Cyprus: 'One part of the island mourns, the other celebrates' - Reuters on Europe's only divided region 2 cyprus](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cyprus.jpg)
In Türkiye, on the other hand, state television spoke of violence against Turkish Cypriots before the invasion.
The Reuters report concludes with the facts: “Turkey’s invasion has occupied more than a third of the island and displaced more than 160,000 Greek Cypriots. Reunification talks collapsed in 2017 and have been deadlocked ever since. The northern part of Cyprus is a breakaway part, recognised as a state only by Turkey.”