President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday visited army camps to send out Christmas wishes and to also reiterate his will to work hard towards the divided island’s reunification based on relevant UN resolutions.
But on the other side of the divide, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar was sending out opposite messages, repeating calls for an unacceptable two-state solution.
Philenews reports that without any sign of convergence on the positions of the two sides in Cyprus, divided since a 1974 Turkish invasion, all eyes are again turned on the United Nations.
Discussion on Cyprus is expected to begin before the Security Council level and the question is what the approach of the Security Council, more broadly, but also of the permanent members, in particular, will be as regards the next steps to be taken.
Anastasiades also sent a message to the Turkish Cypriot community saying they have to also realise that more than 36% of the island’s territory is under occupation by Turkey and this negatively affects them as well.
He added that in addition to the agony of Greek Cypriots who have been forcibly expelled from their ancestral homes Turkish Cypriots also suffer because the usurpation of part of a country is not always to the advantage of the usurper.
He then reminded them of the oppressive control exercised by Turkey on the breakaway north and on their daily life.
