Presidential Commissioner, Marios Hartsiotis, will visit on Wednesday, for the first time since taking office, the Turkish-occupied villages of Agia Triada, Agios Andronikos and Rizokarpaso in Karpasia, in the north-eastern tip of Cyprus, to discuss with the enclaved people their needs and problems, according to an announcement by the Commissioner’s Office.
‘The purpose of his visit will be to record and discuss with our enclaved people their needs and problems’, it said, noting that such meetings will be scheduled on a regular basis. It adds that the main goal of each visit is ‘the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the problems of our enclaved people and their resolution, as well as the practical support and presence of the State.’
For the same purpose, a visit to the occupied village of Kormakitis will follow soon, the announcement concludes.
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.
Shortly after the invasion, some 20,000 Greek Cypriot remained in their home, in the areas Turkey had occupied. The number of these ‘enclaved’ persons has dwindled over the years due to the appalling living conditions and restrictions imposed on them and their daily life. Educational and religious freedoms, in addition to individual freedoms are curtailed by the occupation regime.