Military history of Cyprus

Greece and Cyprus on Monday welcomed moves by Turkey to boost relations with the European Union, but said rapprochement should be gradual and not unconditional. European Union foreign ministers said on July 20 they were ready to re-engage with Turkey, but stopped short of offering Ankara a clear resumption of membership talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday didn't rule out reviving deadlocked negotiations to resolve Cyprus' nearly 50-year ethnic division, but again rejected any deal that wouldn't offer Turkish Cypriots a state of their own.

Τhat position stands against a United Nations-sanctioned framework envisioning a federated island nation.

The American Hellenic Institute released a statement on Thursday to mark the 49th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and called for an end to the occupation.

AHI condemned proposals of a "two-state solution" for the island as well as Turkey's reopening of the beach at Varosha.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit occupied northern Cyprus Thursday to commemorate the 49th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the island.

July 20th marks another black anniversary of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in 1974. 49 years later, the northern part of Cyprus remains illegally occupied. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to break down whether there is space for reunification talks to be revived, and what role the UN, EU and the US can play.

For Greece, the resolution of the Cyprus issue constitutes "a top national priority," Greece's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, to mark the 49th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of 20 July 1974.

Forty-nine years after the tragic invasion of Cyprus, Kathimerini tracked down Giorgos Kremastoulis, a veteran sailor of the Hellenic Navy now residing in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. On July 19, 1974, at 8.30 p.m., one day before the invasion, Kremastoulis, working as a radar operator, detected the movements of the Turkish amphibious forces.

Despite the fact that for the time being Ankara appears immovable, Nicosia is sensing a willingness on the part of the international community to support new negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus problem, with the "window of opportunity" that has opened with the perceived turn of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toward the West. 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized the recent statement by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which proposed a federal solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem.

Greece is ready to start talks with Turkey to resolve a long-standing dispute over maritime borders that has repeatedly brought the two neighbors to the brink of armed conflict, newly appointed Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has said.