With the phrase “I will not forget” he opened his speech Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Cyprus, where he makes a highly symbolic official visit on his day 50th black anniversary of the Turkish invasion. He is the first Greek Prime Minister to visit Megalonisos that day, when Turkish troops landed in Kyrenia, northern Cyprus.
“In the 50 years that have passed, Cyprus has risen. Nicosia has kept alive the call for the country’s reunification and the country has become a member of the European Union,” he said.
However, he noted, “the wound continues to bleed, the island of Aphrodite remains divided.” And he interpreted: “We do not accept the fait accompli,” adding that the objective remains a bizonal, bicommunal federation, a single state, in which all citizens are European citizens.
“The international community does not recognize the man-made structure”
The Greek Prime Minister stressed that there is no other way than to restart the talks, referring to the open channels of communication between Athens and Ankara, he clarified: “The fact that we are talking to Turkey does not mean that we agree or that we are backing down.”
Mitsotakis also noted: “We are not here just to mourn and pay tribute. We are here to fight and to demand.” As he said, the international community also does not accept, which does not recognize the artificial structure in the northern part of Cyprus.
“We are all patriots”
“Without losing the feeling of Athens and Nicosia, we must see the situation pragmatically. We belong to the Western world, we move forward with its value. Every solution also requires courageous decisions. That is why we must not divide those who fight and demand into more and more patriots. We are all patriots. We continue our joint effort,” said the Prime Minister and assured that Greece will always be actively on the side of Cyprus, which has the first word.
Hellenism will not stop fighting
The Prime Minister concluded his speech with something that, as he said, is not a slogan but a commitment: “Hellenism will not stop fighting until Cyprus is reunified.”
Live | Speech at the commemorative event organized by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, to mark the 50th anniversary of the coup and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. https://t.co/o99asEWWwS
– Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) July 20, 2024