Turkish invasion of Cyprus

Marking 46 years since the second phase of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus, the Greek president said that the perennial national goal is to end the occupation of the island's northern part by Turkish troops.

Katerina Sakellaropoulou said that fresh threats and provocations by Ankara "are not going to distract us from our national priorities."

Gene Rossides, a historic figure in the Greek-American community and the main force behind the US arms embargo against Turkey after the invasion of Cyprus, died at the age of 92. His daughter confirmed his passing on Saturday at his home in Washington.

The founder of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and one of the most active proponents of Greek, Cypriot and Greek-American interests in Washington, DC, Eugene (Gene) Rossides has died, the AHI said in an announcement on Monday. He was 92.

Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said he discussed Turkish activities in the Cyprus' exclusive economic zone and statements regarding the fenced-off city of Varosha in a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Geneva on Monday.

Turkish and northern Cypriot officials met on Saturday in an abandoned town wrecked by war to discuss potentially re-opening the area after 46 years, a move that Ankara said was a "historic" opportunity to bring tourism and economic benefits.

Nicosia on Thursday rejected a call by Ankara for a halt to drilling activities off the island's south as a precondition for it to stop its own activities off the divided island. 

Turkey's ongoing survey and drilling activities off Cyprus aim at protecting the rights of Turkish Cypriots, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday, adding that "until these rights are guaranteed, Turkish Petroleum will continue to operate" in the areas licensed by the breakaway state.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the European Union of being biased against his country on the Cyprus issue and Ankara's relations with Athens and Nicosia, saying the union "should actually play a balanced and objective role." 

The Turkish Cyprus Foreign Ministry has described the EastMed Pipeline Project agreement signed by the Greek Cyprus, Israel and Greece as the latest hostile and provocative attempt to exclude the Turkish Cypriot people and Turkey from the energy equation in the region.

Turkish Cypriot authorities and Turkey's Foreign Ministry have condemned the burning of its national flag by Greek Cypriot students who protested the establishment of Turkish Cyprus on Nov. 15.