With messages of peace, cooperation, and reunification, the 6th Bi-communal Peace Festival took place on Saturday evening at the Pyla futsal arena, in the presence of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman. The festival returned after a seven-year hiatus.
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The President of the Republic was accompanied by negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, while Mr. Erhurman was accompanied by negotiator Mehmet Dana and his associates. Also present was the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus and head of UNFICYP, Hashim Dian.
The event was attended by AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou, the president of the Turkish Republican Party (TRP), Sila Usar Incirli, the President of the Community Democracy Party, Zeki Çeller, and the former Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat.
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Mr. Erhurman, who declined to make any statements, did not hide his emotion when a Greek Cypriot fellow citizen welcomed him at the event venue, addressing him with a message of peace and reunification.
In his greeting, the Greek Cypriot community leader of Pyla, Simos Mytidis, described the community as living proof that peaceful and harmonious coexistence is possible. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can work together and build relationships based on mutual respect and understanding, he said, emphasizing that “what unites us is stronger than what divides us.”
The main goal of the event, he noted, is to strengthen ties among residents and foster a climate of reconciliation and trust. At the same time, he added, the Gate sends the message that the two communities can, through coexistence and cooperation, foster hope for a reunified Cyprus.
Mr. Mytidis emphasized the particular significance of the two leaders’ presence and expressed the hope that the festival’s spirit of unity and peace would serve as inspiration for further efforts to buildand for a peaceful future on the island.
For his part, the Turkish Cypriot community leader of Pyla, Veysal Güden, noted that the two communities have lived together for centuries and will continue to coexist. “We choose to live peacefully on this land and we are fighting for that,” he emphasized, attributing their coexistence to the mutual respect, care, and solidarity among the residents.
Despite their different languages, religions, and traditions, he noted, the residents share the same village and want their families to live in peace, safety, and dignity. Coexistence in Pyla, he added, takes shape every day through greeting neighbors, lending a helping hand, and children growing up together.
Mr. Güden recalled that the festival began in 2015, with the aim of helping residents get to know one another better, strengthen their cooperation, and leave a peaceful village for future generations. He noted that the event, with the support of UNFICYP, attracted thousands of people from all over Cyprus, before it was interrupted due to developments at the roadblocks that made daily life difficult for Turkish Cypriots and other adverse conditions, emphasizing the particular importance of resuming it.
Source: CNA
