Cyprus marks 38th black anniversary of declaration of illegal ‘state’ in north

Cyprus on Monday marks the 38^th black anniversary of the unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) by Turkey in the northern part of the divided island.

The government and political parties strongly condemn the move which violates international law and UN resolutions.

Greek Cypriot refugees are to hold anti-occupation protests to mark the anniversary.

Only Turkey which still maintains troops in the breakaway north since a 1974 invasion recognizes the ‘republic’ established there.

UN-brokered talks throughout the years to reunite the island under a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal system failed mainly due to the Turkish intransigence.

The last round of talks collapsed in 2017 with recently-released UN minutes on the high-level conference on Cyprus revealing that Turkey’s non-negotiated demand for its role as guarantor to continue was the reason the process had collapsed.

Turkey, along with Greece and the UK, are the guarantor powers of Cyprus since its independence in 1960. Both Greece and Britain have said they no longer want to continue in this role.