Category: Cyprus News Agency

The Greek Cypriot side is working to create the conditions for the resumption of direct negotiations aimed at a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, on the basis of the agreed United Nations framework, the accumulated negotiating acquis, and the principles, values and legal order of the European Union, Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou said on Thursday evening.

Antoniou, representing Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides at an anti-occupation rally organised by the Latsia-Geri Municipality, conveyed to those present the President’s assurance that resolving the Cyprus issue remains the highest priority for both himself and his government.

In his address, Antoniou said the recent appointment of European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the EU Special Representative for Cyprus demonstrates the European Union’s increased interest, which, he said, the government is counting on ‘both with regard to progress towards the resumption of negotiations and, more specifically, the incorporation of the EU acquis into the content of a settlement.’

‘We support the initiative for the resumption of talks, which was launched following our own persistent efforts. We are investing in the political will of the United Nations Secretary-General, the upgraded interest of the European Union, and the clear linkage between EU-Turkey relations and the Cyprus issue, in the belief that this will lead to concrete results,’ Antoniou said.

He added that the Government’s objective is ‘the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus into a modern state, a member of the European Union and the United Nations, that will offer all its lawful residents the right to live and create in conditions of security and prosperity, just like all other European citizens.’

Acknowledging that the current circumstances are difficult, Antoniou said there remains an obligation to continue efforts ‘so that we can hand over to our children a free homeland, without occupation troops, without guarantors and without intervention rights.’

Referring to the events of 1974, Antoniou said that, 52 years after the ‘tragic summer of 1974′, the sacrifices of those who defended Cyprus’ freedom, territorial integrity and independence will be vindicated only through ending the occupation, liberating and reunifying the country.

‘The treacherous coup of 15 July 1974 and the barbaric Turkish invasion that followed five days later remain bleeding wounds on the body of our homeland, in the heart of our people and in our collective conscience,’ he added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

The need to continue work on meaningful simplification of European legislation, full use of the Single Market and support for EU enlargement was highlighted by the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, during her participation in the EU General Affairs Council, held on Tuesday in Brussels.

According to a press release issued by the Secretariat of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, during the opening of the Council, the Irish Presidency presented its priorities for the second half of 2026, with emphasis on issues falling within the remit of the General Affairs Council. The Deputy Minister wished the Irish Presidency every success in implementing its work programme and welcomed the priorities presented.

As she noted, these priorities are fully aligned with the European Union’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 and ensure continuity in the Council’s work during a period of significant geopolitical and economic challenges.

At the same time, Ministers discussed with Enrico Letta the roadmap ‘One Europe, One Market’, which was co-signed in Nicosia in April, on the sidelines of the informal meeting of EU leaders, during the Cyprus Presidency.

In her intervention, Raouna said that Cyprus fully supports the ambition behind the roadmap. She said the roadmap provides clear political direction, specific timelines and shared responsibility for removing barriers, reducing fragmentation and fully exploiting the Single Market.

Intergovernmental conferences and decorations

On the sidelines of the Council, Raouna also participated in the EU Intergovernmental Conferences with Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldova and Albania.

During her presence in Brussels, the Deputy Minister was decorated with the Order of Honour of the Republic of Moldova by Moldova’s Prime Minister, Cristina Gherasimov, on behalf of Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu.

Accepting the distinction, the Deputy Minister said that it honours not only herself, but also constitutes recognition of the collective effort of the Cyprus Presidency to promote EU enlargement and support Moldova’s European path.

Finally, Raouna attended the decoration ceremony by the government of Spain of the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the EU, Ambassador Christina Rafti, and of the Chair of the Working Party on EU-United Kingdom relations during the Cyprus Presidency, Michaelia Avani.

The annual Schengen report on Cyprus is expected to be formally presented to the Council of the European Union in September, European Commission spokesperson. Markus Lammert, has told CNA. The assessment, based on the Schengen monitoring activities carried out in December 2025, resulted in a positive evaluation of Cyprus’ level of technical preparedness, while a European source has clarified that this is not the final report on Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen Area, and that work is ongoing.

“Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen Area would be a significant step forward for the country and for the European Union as a whole,” Lammert said, confirming that the European Commission adopted on Wednesday the 2025-2026 Schengen Country Report, after receiving a positive opinion from the Member States in the Schengen Committee on 26 June 2026. According to the spokesperson, “the report is based on the Schengen monitoring activities conducted in December 2025 and provides a positive assessment of Cyprus’ state of technical preparedness.”

He added that “the Commission will continue to support Cyprus in its efforts to meet the necessary requirements and standards. These reports, the report that we adopted yesterday, will be presented to the Council in September.” The report has already been transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, but its formal presentation to the Council will take place in September, the spokesperson explained.

“It is clear that decisions on when and how Cyprus will join the Schengen Area lie with the Council, but the Commission’s position is very clear. Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen Area will strengthen the common framework of shared rules, standards and responsibilities underpinning Schengen cooperation,” Lammert concluded.

However, according to a European source who spoke to CNA, this report is by no means the final report on Cyprus’ path towards accession to the Schengen Area. In other words, its consideration by the Council of the European Union will not, in itself, result in Cyprus joining the Schengen Area, as there are still outstanding issues that need to be addressed as part of the ongoing evaluation process.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 15/07/2026 UNTIL 1200 16/07/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1008hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine but early morning increased low cloud will be present with risk of local mist.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist

Sea surface temperature: 27°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally West to Northwest 4 Slight

Night Northwest to North 3 to 4, later Northwest to Northeast 3 Slight, later Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3, gradually West to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon Southwest to West 3 to 4, later locally Southwest 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight

Night Southwest to West 3 to 4, gradually Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight, gradually Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3, gradually South to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, locally Southwest 4 Smooth to Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3, later locally Variable 2 to 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3, gradually South to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally offshore Northwest 4 Smooth to Slight, locally offshore Slight

Night Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight, initially offshore Slight

Morning Variable 3, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Industrial production in Cyprus remained unchanged in May 2026 on a monthly basis, following an increase of 0.1% in April. This was preceded by increases of 1.6% in March and 1.7% in January, as well as decreases of 2.3% in February and 1.5% in December 2025.

According to data published by Eurostat on Wednesday, on an annual basis industrial production in Cyprus increased by 2.5% in May 2026, compared with an increase of 1.5% in April. An increase of 2.5% had also been recorded in March, while in January there was an increase of 4.1% and in February a decrease of 1.8%.

According to the Eurostat’s first estimates, seasonally adjusted industrial production decreased in May, compared with April, by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU.

In April 2026, industrial production had increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU. On an annual basis, that is compared with May 2025, industrial production decreased by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus welcomes the UNSG’s expressed commitment to continue his efforts to resume the negotiation process for Cyprus, with the aim of achieving a viable and comprehensive solution, on the basis of the agreed framework and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. However, it expresses its disappointment with the longstanding tendency of the UN to maintain an equidistant approach, resulting to the inaccurate and selective depiction of the realities on the ground as these are caused by the Turkish occupation and the methodology followed by the occupying forces, undermining the effort for the creation of a climate of trust.

The positions were outlined in a press release with regard to the UN Secretary-General’s Mission of Good Offices and UNFICYP Reports to the UN Security Council.

It said that the ‘Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus welcomes the Secretary-General’s expressed commitment to continue his efforts to resume the negotiation process, with the aim of achieving a viable and comprehensive solution, on the basis of the agreed framework and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. We share the Secretary-General’s view that the confidence building measures cannot replace the negotiation process. We look forward to the resumption of the negotiations the soonest, aiming to achieve an enduring, comprehensive and just settlement of the Cyprus issue, based on a bicommunal bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions’.

With regard to the Report on UNFICYP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus shares the concern of the ‘Secretary-General regarding the recorded ongoing violations by the occupying army in the buffer zone, especially in the areas of Pyla, Varosha and Strovilia’ adding ‘we unequivocally condemn the illegal actions of the Turkish occupying army, including the harassment of Cypriot citizens and the restrictions it tries to impose on UNFICYP’s movements and its ability to implement its mandate’.

Noting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus respects and attaches great importance to UNFICYP’s role in Cyprus, based on its mandate, as set out by UN Security Council Resolution 186(1984), it said it expects UNFICYP to undertake all necessary measures for the immediate reversal of the recorded violations and the safeguarding of normal living conditions.

At the same time, however, ‘the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus expresses its disappointment with the longstanding tendency of the UN to maintain an equidistant approach, resulting to the inaccurate and selective depiction of the realities on the ground as these are caused by the Turkish occupation and the methodology followed by the occupying forces, undermining the effort for the creation of a climate of trust’.

Regarding the humanitarian mandate of the Peacekeeping Force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus wishes to recall the need for the Report to clearly record and highlight Trkiye’s responsibilities both in relation to the living conditions of the enclaved, as well as, on the issue of missing persons.

Concluding, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus ‘reaffirms its commitment to continued cooperation and close coordination with UNFICYP for the effective implementation of its mandate, and with the ultimate goal of a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions’.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

Today, Cyprus honors the memory of those who fell heroically defending democracy during the coup d’état of July 15, 1974. This year marks 52 years since that dark day of the treasonous coup perpetrated by the Athens Junta and EOKA B.

The people of Cyprus, the Government, the Parliament, and organized groups pay tribute to all those who lost their lives defending democracy and constitutional order. Today, the nation remembers the heroic resistance of the state’s legal forces and hundreds of volunteer citizens who stood against the tanks of betrayal.

8:20 AM: Sirens sounded in all cities, marking the exact time the coup was launched.

8:30 AM: The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, accompanied by Ministers, attended the official memorial service for the fallen at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen.

Additional commemorative events are being organized by political parties, municipalities, and organizations across the island.

The History of the Coup

On the morning of July 15, 1974, the military junta of Athens and its collaborators in Cyprus (EOKA B) launched a coup to overthrow the democratically elected President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III.

This betrayal opened the “back door” to the Turkish invasion (“Attila”), giving Turkey the pretext and opportunity it had been seeking for years to advance its expansionist plans against Cyprus.

The coup was initiated under the code signal “Alexandros has entered the hospital”.

The start of the coup was officially communicated to Athens at 8:17 AM via an urgent and top-secret message sent by M. Georgitsis to the Office of the Chief of the Armed Forces. Just three minutes later, at 8:20 AM, the coordinated assault of battle tanks, armored vehicles, and commando forces against the Presidential Palace began, initially striking the entrance and then the exit on the eastern side, along Demostheni Severi Avenue. At that moment, inside the Presidential Palace, Makarios was welcoming a group of children from the Greek community of Egypt. Key installations in Nicosia and other cities were bombarded to suppress any resistance, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. Archbishop Makarios was hosting a delegation of Greek students from Egypt when the attack began. As the Presidential Palace was shelled, his security detail smuggled him out through an unguarded passage on the west side of the palace. He fled to the Kykkos Monastery and subsequently to Paphos.

While the coup plotters seized control of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC/RIK) and repeatedly announced that Makarios was dead and that Nikolas Sampson had been sworn in as President, Makarios was actually alive.

He managed to address the Cypriot people via an improvised, amateur radio station in Paphos.

Archbishop Makarios’s Address:

“Greek Cypriot people, the voice you hear is familiar. You know who is speaking to you. I am Makarios. I am the one you elected to be your leader. I am not dead, as the Athens Junta and its local representatives would wish. I am alive. And I am with you, a fellow fighter and standard-bearer in our common struggle. The Junta’s coup has failed. I was the target, and as long as I live, the Junta in Cyprus will not pass…”

Just five days later, on July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus in two phases, bringing death, destruction, and ongoing division to the island.

Cyprus has been divided since then, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

The United Kingdom and Cyprus have reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening their strategic partnership, with a particular focus on security, regional stability and institutional cooperation, during a meeting on Wednesday at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London between UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.

Cooper stressed that London and Nicosia work closely together on issues of shared foreign policy, regional security and international security. She referred to the recent contacts between the two governments following the attack on a Cyprus-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, while reiterating the importance the British government attaches to Cyprus’ security and its strategic role in the wider region.

The UK Foreign Secretary also congratulated the Republic of Cyprus on its successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union, noting that Nicosia supports the further development of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Referring to bilateral ties, Cooper highlighted the strong people-to-people links between the two countries, noting that around 300,000 Cypriots live in the United Kingdom, while 1.4 million British tourists visit Cyprus every year.

For his part, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said that, at a time of major geopolitical transformation, the Republic of Cyprus is seeking to add greater substance to its strategic partnership with the United Kingdom.

He said the objective is to strengthen the institutional framework for cooperation and enhance communication mechanisms on security and other areas of mutual interest.

Kombos also underlined the need for a “comprehensive, meaningful and results-oriented dialogue”, stressing that the common objective of both countries is to find solutions to existing challenges and further strengthen bilateral cooperation, despite the occasional complexities that have characterised their relationship over the years.

From 8 to 13 July 2026, the Department of Communication and Internet Studies and the Department of Fine Arts at Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) brought together students and scholars from across Europe for a week-long Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) in Media Anthropology and Film Practices, the first of its kind at CUT.

Limassol as a Field Site

The programme used Limassol itself as a living laboratory. Participants explored the city’s coastline, markets, and neighborhoods through ethnographic walks, fieldwork exercises, and documentary filming, learning to read the city not merely as backdrop, but as inscribed space.

The BIP brought together a faculty of researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of anthropology, filmmaking, fine and visual arts, technology, and everyday practice. Key contributors included Athina Peglidou and Penelope Papailias from Greece, Jaime Quilles Campos and Roberto Oliver Sanchez Garcia from Spain, Yiannis Papadakis, Rahme Veziroglu, Markos Souropetsis, Theodoros Kouros, Yiannis Christidis and Selin Genç from Cyprus, whose work on anthropology, socially engaged art, participatory storytelling, podcasting, filmmaking and the politics of the image shaped the programme’s critical orientation.

Thinking Through the Camera

The programme was designed around a central question: what does it mean to think anthropologically through film? Sessions moved between theory and practice – from seminars on ethics of representation and the politics of the gaze, to hands-on workshops in documentary filmmaking, field recording, and visual storytelling.

The BIP provided participants with the tools to work with images and sound the way an anthropologist works with words: carefully, reflexively, and always in relation to the people participating. The visual works that the students produced were exhibited in Xydadiko, in Limassol on the last day of the programme at a public event.

European Collaboration

The programme was delivered as part of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme framework, bringing together students and faculty from partner universities across Europe. The programme brought together students and academics from Greece (University of Thessaly and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), Spain (Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche), Romania (Technical University of Cluj-Napoca), and Cyprus (CUT). Yiannis Christidis and Theodoros Kouros from the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of Communication and Internet Studies, respectively, coordinated the programme.

The BIP is part of a growing portfolio of international programme at CUT that connect applied research, fieldwork, and creative practice, positioning the university as a regional hub for critical media and anthropological inquiry.

More than 200 representatives from across Cyprus’ research, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem gathered on Tuesday, 14 July, at The BASH 2026, the flagship annual networking event organised by the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF).

In a statement, the Foundation notes that The BASH 2026 was organised under the Innovation Factory initiative of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) and as part of the activities of the Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus, and, beyond networking, the event served as an opportunity to highlight the progress that Cyprus has made in recent years in the field of research and innovation, as well as the value of collaboration between the public and private sectors, universities, research organisations, and businesses.

“The strong attendance and vibrant atmosphere throughout the evening confirmed that The BASH has firmly established itself as the annual gathering of Cyprus’s innovation community, fostering new synergies, meaningful collaborations and initiatives with lasting impact,” the RIF notes.

The Chair of the Board of the RIF and Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation, and Technology, Dimitris Skouridis, the General Director of the RIF, Theodoros Loukaidis, as well as Constantinos Kleovoulou, on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy, emphasized the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to further strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and stressed the potential of the growing research and innovation ecosystem in Cyprus.