“This has been an occupation since 1974. You must accept reality,” emphasized Deputy Foreign Minister Tassos Hatzivassiliou, addressing former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, during the panel discussion “Europe’s Next Vital Steps Between Geopolitics, EU Ambitions, and EU Accession” at The Economist’s 30th Annual Government Roundtable in Lagonisi.

The confrontation arose when Mr. Davutoğlu expressed the view that Turkey’s presence in Cyprus stems from international law, prompting Mr. Hatzivassiliou to politely interrupt him, pointing out that “this has been an occupation since 1974.”

During the discussion, Ahmet Davutoğlu also attempted shift the blame for the impasse in the Cyprus issue onto the Greek Cypriot side, saying that the Greek Cypriots’ rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004 was the root cause of the impasse, while taking a swipe at Brussels, saying that the EU should not have accepted Cyprus’s accession while the issue remained unresolved.

Despite the intervention of moderator Joan Hoey, a Europe consultant at the EIU, who attempted to restore order to the discussion, Mr. Davutoğlu sought to intervene, reiterating that “the Turkish presence in Cyprus is based on international law, unlike Russia’s.” The Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, however, responded by clearly reiterating the Greek position, emphasizing that Turkey carried out an illegal invasion of Cyprus and that this is the reality, to applause from the audience.

@protothema.gr Incident between Hatzivassiliou and Davutoğlu in Lagonisi: There was an invasion of Cyprus in 1974; Turkey must accept reality! #protothema #news #greektiktok #tiktokgreece ♬ original sound – protothema.gr

Mr. Hatzivassiliou, when asked about this earlier, had expressed the Greek positions, noting, among other things, that the fact of the casus belli, as well as the invasion and the ongoing occupation of territory belonging toa European Union member state.

Furthermore, he defended the EU’s enlargement policy, recalling G. Gerapetritis that the goal would be the accession of at least one new member state, provided the relevant criteria are met, during the Greek Presidency of the European Council. “Greece is here to help candidate countries on their path to Europe,” he noted, adding that Athens consistently supports a Europe-oriented Turkey, as Greece itself has renewed its interest in joining the European family starting in 2023.

Diamantopoulou: European principles are not à la carte

Europe is not merely a geostrategic power. Its true strength lies in its principles: democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and social cohesion, said Anna Diamantopoulou in her remarks—and she added:
The Copenhagen Criteria are not mere bureaucracy. They are the political and values-based foundation of the European Union. Anyone who wants to become a member is not merely called upon to accept them; they are called upon to believe in them. And these principles do not apply à la carte. Europe cannot—rightly—condemn the Russian occupation of the territory of a candidate country, Ukraine, while at the same time ignoring the fact that another candidate country, Turkey, is occupying the territory of a European Union member state, Cyprus. This is not an issue that can be swept under the rug simply because it is inconvenient. It is a matter of consistency, credibility, and the very essence of European identity.