Nicosia, Cyprus. Archbishop Georgios appealed on Sunday against further concessions on the Cyprus problem, saying Turkey would not be satisfied by additional compromises.
He made the remarks after a memorial service for Archbishop Makarios III, Cyprus’ first president, and called for adherence to the principles Makarios defended.
Makarios’ stance
Archbishop Georgios said that for Makarios, compromise was not unacceptable, but unconditional surrender was.
He said there were current calls, including from the United Nations, for further concessions, but argued that the Cypriot side should follow Makarios’ approach because “the occupier cannot be satisfied with other concessions”.
“These principles were defended during Makarios’ lifetime. We have to listen to him in order to live,” he said.
Criticism of UN approach
Asked about the recent visit to Cyprus by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Archbishop Georgios criticised the stance of the United Nations.
He said the secretary-general and UN representatives should serve the organisation’s values, but that they appeared instead to be seeking a “middle way”, which he said could lead to solutions that would not be sustainable over time.
European acquis
The Archbishop said that, in the era of human rights and the European Union, the Greek Cypriot side should insist on implementation of the European acquis.
He said this would ensure that Cyprus’ citizens have the same rights as other European citizens, including free movement, establishment and property acquisition.
“We are not asking for anything more than what free people enjoy,” he said.
