In the south, women dressed in black held up photographs of some of the 1,500 Greek Cypriots missing since the Turkish invasion. The women attended a special church service to pray for action to determine the fate of the missing, many of whom disappeared after the Red Cross listed them as held by Turkish troops.

By Alex Efty - The Associated Press

NICOSIA - On the one side of the island, people cheered and waved red-and-white flags as Turkish tanks rumbled down the road and fighter jets roared overhead. On the other side, bells tolled mournfully and people dressed in black walked to church to pray for the departure of the Turkish troops and the reunification of their island.

Saturday marked the 28th anniversary of the 1974 invasion of Cyprus, when Turkey invaded after a coup by Greek-Cypriot supporters of union with Greece.

This year’s commemorations had a special significance in view of Cyprus’s expected entry into the European Union next year and a Turkish threat to annex the northern third of the island. They also followed the failure of the most intensive attempt to negotiate a settlement — six months of thrice-weekly meetings between Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides, the Greek-Cypriot leader, and Rauf Denktash, the Turkish-Cypriot leader.

In the northern sector of the divided capital Nicosia, thousands of Turkish Cypriots attended an impressive parade of Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot troops, tanks, armored personnel carriers and a fly-past of Turkish warplanes. Denktash took the salute with Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel.

On the southern side of Nicosia, Greek-Cypriot refugees from towns and villages in the Turkish-occupied north held meetings. They appealed to the United Nations to implement Security Council resolutions calling for reunification and a return to their homes.

President Clerides appealed to the Turkish-Cypriot minority on Friday to help reunite the island and enter the European Union. But Denktash made clear on Saturday that he was sticking to his demand for recognition of his breakaway Turkish-Cypriot state. “We will not compromise on our sovereignty,” Denktash said.