"We are working to end the occupation and reunify our homeland through a peaceful, sustainable, and workable solution to the Cyprus problem," Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotis, on Sunday, assuring that the government’s top priority is the reunification of Cyprus. He added that the current momentum surrounding the Cyprus issue confirms that our national issue remains a priority on the international agenda.

“We remain steadfastly committed to a comprehensive solution based on the relevant United Nations resolutions, with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship, and a single international personality, in accordance with the European acquis and the principles and values upon which the European Union is founded,” he said.

In a speech at the memorial service held at the Metropolitan Church of St. Theodore in Paphos for those who fell during the coup, Konstantinos Letympiotis said that they are working with all their might toward a solution that will lead to an independent and truly sovereign state, free from anachronistic guarantees and the presence of occupying troops, adding that our heavy legacy compels us to fight unwaveringly to end the occupation, for the unity of the state, and for the safeguarding of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the entire Cypriot people.

“The current momentum surrounding the Cyprus issue confirms that our national issue remains a priority on the international agenda. The continued involvement of the United Nations Secretary-General, the effort to reactivate the process, and references to the role of the European Union are of particular political significance. The Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union. “The solution must be compatible with the European acquis, with the principles of the Union, with human rights, and with the very concept of a modern European state,” he emphasized.

He added that Cyprus is a pillar of stability in a region marked by great geopolitical fluidity, through a focused foreign policy, through our strategic relationship with our partners, through regional cooperation, through our European identity, and through the Republic of Cyprus’s strengthened international presence and action, “our struggle gains more support, more credibility, and greater diplomatic clout.”

“Criticism alone is not enough; we need a vision, a plan, a strategy,” he said, adding that we need “in the face of Turkey’s maneuvers, we must build a strong network of alliances, without ever undermining—through controversial choices—our position and role within the European family.”

“The Cyprus of 2026 is not the Cyprus that in 1974 found itself wounded, betrayed, and alone,” said Mr. Letympiotis. Today, he said, the Republic of Cyprus stands tall, participates in European decision-making, is enhancing its international standing, strengthening its cooperation with countries in the region and with strategic partners, and leveraging its role as a force for stability, security, and humanitarian action. “This progress does not erase the pain of the occupation. It transforms it, however, into a source of strength for our cause,” she said.

“With reverence and unwavering commitment, we will continue to devote every ounce of our strength to building a Cyprus that will serve as a symbol of peace, stability, and progress in the region,” said the Spokesperson, adding that this major national effort requires unity, seriousness, and political maturity. “Democracy requires dialogue, debate, and criticism,” he said.

Regarding the coup, the Government Spokesperson stated in his speech that “it was not a momentary mistake of history, but a crime against democracy and against the homeland,” the culmination of a trajectory of division, blindness, intolerance, and political madness. It was the moment, he continued, when “Cyprus was wounded by a brother’s hand, before suffering, a few days later, the premeditated blow of the Turkish ‘Attila’ operation.”

“This is the truth that brooks no embellishment. The Athens junta and its local collaborators opened the back door. Turkey exploited the crime as a pretext to carry out plans that had been in place beforehand.” And since then, he noted, for 52 years Cyprus has been living with the tragic consequences of the barbaric invasion and the illegal occupation.

Today’s anniversary, he said, is “an anniversary of a dark day in the modern history of Hellenism” and calls for acts of collective remembrance, honor, self-awareness, and political and national responsibility. “If we truly wish to honor our dead, we must first courageously accept our own responsibilities,” Mr. Letympiotis concluded.