Foreign Minister Kotzias’ message on the 41st anniversary of the beginning of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus:

“On today’s 41st anniversary of the beginning of the barbaric Turkish invasion of Cyprus, which had been planned many years in advance, Greece pays tribute to the brave, dead and missing Greeks and Cypriots who, under tragically adverse conditions, defended the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional legality of our sister the Republic of Cyprus. Greece has never accepted and will never in the future accept as accomplished facts the consequences of the ongoing Turkish occupation, of the violent partitioning, and of the settlement of Cyprus.

The Cyprus problem is an international problem of invasion and occupation. The just resolution of this issue remains a top priority of Greek foreign policy. The relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and Cyprus’ capacity as an equal partner of the European Union determine the framework for the resolution of the problem. An integral part of a real and definitive solution to the problem is the departure of all foreign troops from Cyprus and the termination of the anachronistic Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance of 1960. In this direction, the Greek government fully supports the intercommunal talks under the aegis of the Secretary General of the United Nations, which are the only agreed method of resolution.”