Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis condemned Turkey’s decision to extend the entry permit to the coastal front of Varosha in Famagusta, Cyprus, during his speech at the award ceremony for the Empress Theophano Prize to the President of the European Commission Ursula President von der Leyen.

“This decision is a flagrant violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions and Greece is going to support all the relevant efforts of the Republic of Cyprus,” said Mr. Mitsotakis.

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“Europe’s borders, not only the geographical outline of European sovereignty but also of its own value system are being challenged when a third country, Turkey, violates the rights of two EU members, Greece and Cyprus,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In relation to the European Union, he noted that “some misguided choices exacerbate internal inequalities, other hesitations damage national confidence and some inaction embolden self-invited third actors who rush to act in areas where Europe has strategic interests.”

Speaking about the “Empress Theophano Prize”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “Today we have the celebration of Europe and its values and I am glad that the award will be received by the President of the Commission, even if online, she is the right person to convey to Brussels the honour that Thessaloniki bestows on her and the future of our common homeland”.

“It is an award named after a powerful 10th-century woman in the hands of a dynamic and leading 21st-century figure,” he said.