The 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus was recognised over the weekend with stark conflicting events.
Greek Cypriots in the south acknowledged the milestone as a “tragic anniversary,” memorialising and mourning those who lost their lives in the 1974 Turkish invasion.
According to The Guardian, Greek Cypriots awoke to air raid sirens reminding them of the arrival of thousands of invading Turkish troops on the eastern Mediterranean island five decades ago.
Cyprus’ President, Nikos Christodoulides, described the anniversary as a sombre occasion for reflection and remembering the dead.
“Our mission is liberation, reunification and solving the Cyprus problem,” he said. “If we really want to send a message on this tragic anniversary… it is to do anything possible to reunite Cyprus.”
In the Turkish-occupied north, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flew in to attend a military parade and fly-past commemorating the “peace operation.”
During his visit, Erdogan reinforced his support for the highly denounced two-state solution stating, “A federal solution in Cyprus is not possible, this is what we believe.”
The two-state solution has been totally rejected by Greek Cypriots and fellow member states of the EU.
Source: The Guardian.
