We have an obligation, as a semi-occupied country, to constantly strengthen our defence, Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said on Thursday, in Nicosia.
Asked, during a media briefing at the Presidential Palace to comment on statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on the Republic of Cyprus’ armament programme, following Wednesday’s military parade for the anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Cyprus, the Spokesperson said that all the actions the government has been taking, ‘regarding the defence of our country are aimed at exactly what I have described, the defence of our country.’ ‘A country which, let us remind Mr Tatar and Turkey, has been experiencing the tragic consequences of a barbaric invasion and an illegal occupation for 51 years. A country where 37% of its territory is under occupation, where 30,000 Turkish soldiers are illegally in our country and where over 160,000 Greek Cypriots are refugees in their own homeland’, he added.
What we are doing, he said, ‘is to strengthen, to further shield our country’s defence, to strengthen the deterrence of our country, a member state of the European Union’, in cooperation and full coordination ‘with our large European family, utilising programmes such as SAFE, with funds exceeding one billion euros, precisely because we have an obligation, especially as a semi-occupied homeland, to constantly shield our defence’, he said.
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.