On a challenging day for Hellenism, on the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus, which resulted in the division of Cyprus, the last divided European country to this day, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be in Nicosia to speak at the Presidential Palace, responding to the invitation of Nikos Christodoulides. It is the first time a Greek prime minister visits the island on this dark anniversary, undoubtedly sending a strong symbolic message.
Mr. Mitsotakis’s visit will follow that of Tayyip Erdogan in the occupied territories and the “celebration” with the occupying “Prime Minister” Tatar. There will have been a grand show featuring the Turkish fleet, underscoring Turkey’s intransigence on the issue, as Ankara now openly promotes a two-state solution, while Cyprus and Greece clearly insist on a solution within the framework of the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
According to government sources, Mr. Mitsotakis will deliver an emotionally charged speech, in the spirit of the day, with very clear references to the Turkish occupation of a large part of Cyprus. The Prime Minister will also provide a historical overview of the previous decades and the history of the Cyprus issue, while emphasizing that Greece stands with Cyprus in all efforts to find a viable and sustainable solution within the framework of the UN’s decisions. Recently, the Prime Minister met in New York with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and the Secretary-General’s envoy, Ms. Olguín-Cuellar, has submitted her report on how the talks could be restarted.
Mr. Mitsotakis will particularly focus on the aspect of restarting the talks, in an effort to send a message looking towards the future. Behind the scenes, scenarios for a possible five-party meeting in the fall are being discussed, although a meeting between Christodoulides and Tatar, which is constantly being postponed, takes precedence. This weekend’s events in Cyprus are a strong crash test for Greek-Turkish relations, with Mr. Mitsotakis and Erdogan scheduled to meet again in September in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied in Cyprus by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, his diplomatic advisor Anna Maria Boura, and international policy and media advisor Aristotelia Peloni.
