Greek president seeks support on Cyprus question
Following the collapse of United Nations-mediated Cyprus talks earlier this month, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Thursday called on the international community to stop tolerating the presence of Turkish occupying troops in the island’s north.
“We expect both Europe and the international community to rise to the occasion on a major issue which is not Greek nor Cypriot but international and European, the Cyprus problem,” Pavlopoulos said. “Neither Europe nor the international community should tolerate the disgrace of the Turkish invasion and occupation,” he added.
His comments came amid reports that Turkish-Cypriot officials are considering allowing the return of thousands of refugees to Varosha, an abandoned southern quarter of the city of Famagusta in the island’s occupied north.
Sources close to the Turkish government indicate that the opening up of the fenced-off district is just a matter of time. The precise intentions of Turkish authorities, and Turkish-Cypriot officials, however, remains unclear.
