The government is working towards ending the occupation and reunifying our homeland through a peaceful, viable, and functional settlement of the Cyprus issue, Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said on Sunday, reaffirming that the government’s foremost objective is the reunification of Cyprus. He added that the current momentum surrounding the Cyprus issue confirms that our national cause remains a priority on the international agenda.
“We remain firmly committed to a comprehensive settlement based on the relevant United Nations resolutions, with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship, and a single international legal personality, in accordance with the EU acquis and the principles and values upon which the European Union is founded,” he said.
Addressing a memorial service for those who lost their lives during the 1974 coup in Cyprus, held at the Metropolitan Church of Saint Theodore in Paphos, Letymbiotis said the government is working with all its strength towards a solution that will lead to an independent and genuinely sovereign state, free from outdated systems of guarantees and the presence of occupying troops. He added that the heavy legacy we honour today compels us to strive unwaveringly for an end to the occupation, for the unity of the state, and for the safeguarding of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots.
“The current momentum surrounding the Cyprus issue confirms that our national cause remains a priority on the international agenda. The continued engagement of the United Nations Secretary-General, the efforts to reactivate the negotiating process, and the references to the role of the European Union carry significant political importance. The Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union. The solution must be compatible with the EU acquis, the principles of the Union, human rights, and the very concept of a modern European state,” he stressed.
He added that Cyprus is a pillar of stability in a region marked by considerable geopolitical volatility, and that through a purposeful foreign policy, strategic partnerships with its allies, regional cooperation, its European identity, and the enhanced international presence and engagement of the Republic of Cyprus, “our struggle gains stronger support, greater credibility, and increased diplomatic leverage.”
Condemnation alone is not enough, he said. What is also needed is vision, planning, and strategy. “In the face of Turkey’s actions, we must build a strong network of alliances, without ever undermining our position and role within the European family through controversial choices,” the Government Spokesperson said.
“The Cyprus of 2026 is not the Cyprus of 1974, which found itself wounded, betrayed, and alone,” Letymbiotis said. Today, the Republic of Cyprus stands strong, participates in European decision-making, enhances its international standing, strengthens its cooperation with countries in the region and strategic partners, and makes full use of its role as a factor of stability, security, and humanitarian action. “This progress does not erase the pain of occupation. It transforms it into a source of strength in pursuing our rightful claims,” he said.
With reverence and unwavering dedication, we will continue to devote every ounce of our strength to building a Cyprus that will stand as a symbol of peace, stability, and progress in the region, the Spokesperson said. He added that this great national effort requires unity, seriousness, and political maturity, which does not mean silence or the absence of disagreement. “Democracy requires dialogue, counter-argument, and criticism,” he said.
Referring to the coup of 1974, the Government Spokesperson said it was not a momentary mistake of history but a crime against democracy and the homeland, the culmination of a course of division, blindness, intolerance, and political extremism. It was the moment, he continued, when Cyprus was wounded by the hand of its own brothers before suffering, a few days later, the premeditated blow of the Turkish invasion.
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.