The 19th annual national memorial service of Greek Cypriot Tasos Isaak and his cousin Solomos Solomou, who were murdered by Turks in August 1996, during two anti-occupation demonstrations, was held today in Paralimni.
In his speech at the memorial service, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicos Kouyialis, said that the two heroes, Tasos Isaak and Solomos Solomou are “symbols of our struggle against injustice and against the Turkish occupation., symbols of sacrifice but also of duty”.
Our duty, he said, to those killed for freedom and justice in Cyprus is the liberation and reunification of our country.
Referring to the Cyprus issue, he said that the solution was and remains the highest priority and national challenge for the government despite the difficult economic conditions of the past three years.
He added that the President of the Republic and the government work systematically to reach a peaceful and viable solution that would end the illegal Turkish occupation of 37% of Cyprus` territory, that would give an end to Turkey`s policy of bringing illegal settlers to the island and that would reunify the people, the economy and the institutions in the framework of a state with one sovereignty, nationality and international personality.
“Our struggle is for a solution, fully harmonised with the acquis communautaire, with no division lines and with full respect of free movement, settlement and property”, he stressed.
The 25-year-old Tasos Isaak was beaten to death on 11 August 1996 by a Turkish mob, while taking part in an anti-occupation demonstration at Dherynia, on the east of the island. The killing took place in the UN-controlled buffer zone, which separates the northern Turkish occupied north from the southern government controlled part of the country.
Solomos Solomou, then aged 26, was killed on 14 August 1996, after being shot three times by Turkish snipers, while trying to climb a pole in order to remove a Turkish flag from its mast. The killing happened after the funeral of his cousin Tasos Isaak.
The European Court of Human Rights unanimously has found Turkey guilty of human rights violations as regards the two killings.
Meanwhile, during the memorial, the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Commerce, Industry, Tourism and Energy, Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, were jeered by a group of Greek Cypriot men, dressed in black, who were shouting against a federal solution in Cyprus.
The event was denounced by Acting President of the Republic and President of the House of Representatives Yiannakis Omirou, the Minister of Agriculture, Mayor of Paralimni Theodoros Pyrillis, Bishop of Konstantia/Famagusta Vasilios, and others.
The Republic of Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and still occupies 37% of this Mediterranean EU island`s territory. UN backed talks resumed in May between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci aiming to reunify the island under a federal political system.