Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-07-15

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] CYPRUS - 1974 COUP - COMMEMORATION

[02] HOUSE - COUP - SESSION

[03] VIOLATIONS - PROTEST

[04] PAPADOPOULOS - BODY - TRIAL

[01] CYPRUS - 1974 COUP - COMMEMORATION

The coup, engineered by the Greek military junta, then ruling Greece, was followed five days later by the Turkish invasion, which resulted in the occupation of Cyprus` northern third.

The Cypriot political, religious and state leadership attended the annual commemoration church service, in the presence of President Demetris Christofias.

``These days bring back painful memories, this is when the Greek military junta and EOKA B (paramilitary group in Cyprus) launched an offensive against the Presidential Palace, sowed destruction and targeted President Makarios and democracy. Their achievement was to bring the Turkish invader to Cyprus, President Christofias said after the service.

At the same time, he called for unity on the internal front to help find a solution that will free Cyprus of Turkeys occupation and secure the unity of the state, the people, the economy and the institutions.

Today, we reaffirm our decisiveness to defend with consistency the Republic and the democratic values, to honour for ever those who fought and stood against the tanks and the kalashnikov and resisted, sacrificing their life defending democracy and freedom, he stressed.

The President said that the coupists opened the gates to Turkey to invade Cyprus, which is exactly what it did on July 20.

Today is a day of reflection. I call for unity, at least for the minimum necessary unity, at a time when Turkish propaganda is trying to gain the upper hand. Small party ambitions and goals must be put aside and we should jointly support efforts for a solution, the President stressed.

The solution can only be achieved if we fight united, with the full support of Greece, which is granted and consistent, he said.

In his remarks, Archbishop Chrysostomos II said that for 36 years now the people of Cyprus are suffering and yet no solution seems to be in sight.

The future is not bright, he said, noting that no one knows how this tragedy of division and occupation will end.

For that reason, we should all remain calm, and with a clear mind claim our rights, the Archbishop said, stressing that if the people fight holding on to ideals and principles, there is hope for a viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

[02] HOUSE - COUP - SESSION

President of the House of Representatives Marios Garoyian called on the MPs to observe one-minute`s silence in memory of the heroes and martyrs, killed during the summer of 1974.

The session, which was also attended by Ministers and other officials, began with an opening speech by Garoyian and was followed by speeches by leaders or representatives of political parties.

In his speech, Garoyian said Turkish plans demand immediate and preventive action, and that ``we are at a very crucial point`` and noted that, ``in the light of our experience so far in the direct negotiations`` for a solution of the Cyprus problem, ``we need to revise our negotiating policy.``

[03] VIOLATIONS - PROTEST

Cyprus Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Minas Hadjimichael, in a letter to the UN Secretary General dated 6th July, protested the new violations of international air traffic regulations and of its national airspace by Turkey, recorded from 2 April to 28 June 2010. The letter was circulated on Wednesday as an official UN document.

In his letter, the Permanent Representative expresses the governments strong protest for the violations and calls for their immediate ending. He notes that that these actions blatantly endanger the safety of air flights and violate international law and international air traffic regulations while at the same time put at stake peace and stability in the region

Hadjimichael stresses that Turkey`s systematic attempts to undermine the sovereignty and unity of Cyprus by promoting the illegal secessionist entity in the Turkish occupied areas of the island and with the usurpation, inter alia, of the right to control part of the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus, further complicate the efforts to build trust and confidence between the two communities.

[04] PAPADOPOULOS - BODY - TRIAL

The Court ruled that the three suspects will remain in custody. These are Sarbtzit Sing, an Indian immigrant who is in Cyprus requesting political asylum, Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, known as ``Al Capone`` a convicted murderer serving life sentence and his brother Mamas Prokopiou.

During Thursday`s hearing, the Prosecution submitted the admissible facts of the case, which were acknowledged by the three suspects. Furthermore it submitted to the Court the voluntary statements made by the three.

Papadopoulos` body was stolen from his grave on December 11 2009, one day before the annual memorial service. He died on December 12 2008. Papadopoulos was elected President of the Republic in February 2003 for a five-year term. He ran unsuccessfully for re-election in the February 2008 presidential elections.

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