In a message marking the 51st anniversary since Turkish occupation troops invaded the island of Cyprus in 1974, President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas on Sunday stressed that Greece will forget neither the sacrifice of those who fell to defend the island nor its duty to restore a free and reunited Cyprus.
"Fifty-one years after the illegal invasion of the Turkish army in Cyprus, in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, Cyprus continues to remain divided and lives with the consequences of Turkiye's barbarous attack: the illegal Turkish military occupation of a third and more of its territory, mass violations of the human rights of the Cypriot people, [persons] missing, displaced and trapped, illegal settlement and the destruction of Greek and Orthodox cultural heritage.
"We pay homage to those from Greece and Cyprus who fought and sacrificed themselves in 1974 to defend the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, with the promise to never forget their sacrifice. As we will never forget our country's duty to continue and intensify the efforts aiming at an end of the Turkish occupation and at finding a fair and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue that is based on UN Security Council resolutions and the implementation of the European acquis across the entire territory of a free and reunited Cyprus," the president's message said.