House President Annita Demetriou called on Sunday for leveraging Cyprus’ EU membership to pressure Turkey, stressing that Ankara must understand its ambitions to participate in European policies such as common defence, security, and customs union go through Cyprus and Greece.
Speaking at the annual national memorial for the heroes of Liopetri, she said that the wounds of the Turkish invasion and occupation remain open, with people who are “refugees in our own homeland, missing persons, enclaved, lives behind barbed wire and borrowed memories for the younger generations.”
Demetriou stressed that national responsibility is “heavy” and called for unity, seriousness, and determination “to secure the survival of Hellenism in Cyprus, against an intransigent Turkey that constantly attempts new faits accomplis.”
She stressed that Cyprus, in coordination with Greece, must continue to fight with faith and perseverance, using international law, EU principles and values, and its alliances, until Turkish intransigence is overcome and conditions are created for the liberation and reunification.
The House President reiterated that Cyprus must use its EU status to make it clear to Turkey that as long as it occupies Cypriot territory, insists on a two-state solution, acts provocatively in the EEZ, and escalates tensions in the Aegean, “it closes every European prospect it seeks.”
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.