President says there are limits to concessions made for Cyprus issue

President Nikos Christodoulides reiterated on Wednesday the government’s commitment for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus problem but said that there are limits to the concessions and compromise the country can accept.

Speaking at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens marking 50 years since the Turkish invasion, the president said that the Greek Cypriot side will not stop the struggle  for justice and remains committed to the form of solution agreed in the framework of the United Nations and is fully prepared to engage in substantive negotiations, under the auspices of the United Nations, to reach a solution.

The event was attended by the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens, representatives of the Greek Government and other officials.

In the context of the event, the Rector of the University, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, announced the decision of the Senate to award the President of the Republic of Cyprus an honorary doctorate of the University.

During his speech, the president referred to this year’s dark 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, speaking of the tragic consequences of both the invasion and the continued occupation of “a large part of the territory of an independent and sovereign state, the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the United Nations and the European Union”.

As he said, this continuing occupation constitutes “a flagrant violation of international and European law, the Charter of the United Nations, the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and an unquestionable violation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, Latins, who live and are deprived of their basic freedoms in their own homeland.”

Speaking about Turkish intransigence and the refusal of Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to reach an honourable compromise, Christodoulides also referred to their last claim for a “sovereign equality and a two-state solution”.

As he underlined, the Greek Cypriot side will not stop fighting and remains “committed to the form of solution agreed in the framework of the United Nations and is fully prepared to engage in substantive negotiations, under the auspices of the United Nations, to reach a solution”.

However, he stressed that “there are limits to the concessions and compromise we can accept.”

Noting that Cyprus is a member state of the European Union he said that no one should expect it to accept a false settlement of ‘two states’ or not allowing the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus to enjoy basic human rights.

“With the required political will and in full consultation with the Greek Government, we continue to goal for a solution based on the relevant UN resolutions, the European acquis. Despite the challenges, the difficulties, the frustrations, we truly believe that we can find a way forward even on the most thorny issues of the Cyprus problem”, the President of the Republic of Cyprus added.

Finally, Christodoulides Cyprus paid tribute “to the Greek brothers who fought with bravery and self-denial to defend the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus” and expressed Cyprus’ gratitude for Greece’s support during these 50 years of struggle.

In her address, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, assured that Greece remains firmly on the side of Cyprus to end the occupation and division of Cyprus.

“For five decades Cyprus remains semi-occupied. We do not forget and we remain committed to the struggle to overturn the faits accomplis of the barbaric occupation, the provocative colonization and the violent separation of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots,” Sakellaropoulou said.

She assured that the Cyprus problem, apart from being a major international issue, is a top national priority.