Kyrenia, Cyprus. Kyrenia mayor Akis Violaris renewed calls for the return of displaced people and the resolution of the missing persons issue in a message marking the 52nd anniversary of the Turkish invasion of 1974.
In a statement published on social media on Monday, Violaris described the anniversary as a day of pain, remembrance and responsibility.
Call for resolution
Violaris said that 52 years after the Turkish invasion, Turkey’s ongoing crimes in Cyprus did not allow people to forget, rest or compromise.
He said the struggle for liberation from the occupying forces, the withdrawal of settlers, the return of displaced people and the identification of missing persons would continue regardless of how many years passed.
Municipality in exile
Concluding his message, Violaris reiterated that the municipality’s borders are in Kyrenia, a longstanding position of the municipality, which operates in exile.
Kyrenia was the site of the first landing during the Turkish invasion in July 1974, when forces established a bridgehead at Pentemili. The city fell to Turkish forces about three days later.