House President, Demetris Syllouris, said on Sunday that the efforts made by the Greek Cypriot side to negotiate with the Turkish Cypriot leader “who has been acting as the mouthpiece of the government in Ankara” constitute an extremely difficult process.
In a speech at a memorial service for the policemen and volunteers that were killed during the Turkish Cypriot mutiny of 1963-1964, Syllouris said that “the provocative and exaggerated demands of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, as well as behaviours aiming at separating the population of Cyprus and legitimizing unlawful acts as a fait accompli, show that achieving a just solution to the Cyprus issue is something impossible”.
At the same time he stressed the need “for us to pursue at least a functional settlement for the state and its citizens, that will be based on the European principles and values, the acquis communautaire, the democratic principles, respecting the human rights of every Cypriot citizen.”
In his speech, Syllouris also said that history has proven that Turkey is in every way trying to dominate Cyprus at the political and geostrategic levels.
He also said that Turkey has always been operating on the basis of its expansionary plans aimed at dismantling the Republic of Cyprus and taking full control of the island. Furthermore, Syllouris noted that Turkey has been encouraging extreme nationalism and feelings of intolerance among the Turkish Cypriot population.
(Cyprus News Agency)
