Press Releases

The President of the Republic Mr. Nicos Anastasiades visited today, a polling centre in Nicosia where Turkish Cypriots cast their vote for the European Parliament elections.

During his visit, the President greeted tens of Turkish Cypriot voters.

Later on, in his remarks to reporters, the President said, among other things, that he visited the polling centre in order to find out that everything is moving smoothly, and stated that “I feel especially content from the briefing I had.”

He added “it is all going smoothly with no problems whatsoever. Today’s participation by the Turkish Cypriots in the elections is indicative of how much happier our country would be if it were possible to be reunified, and for all of us to actually live as European citizens, the legal citizens of Cyprus, in an atmosphere of mutual respect, in a country that could offer everything it owes to all its citizens.”

Replying to a question on what the Turkish Cypriot voters’ participation means, the President said “it creates those conditions for all citizens of this country to understand that Europe, which is our home, can help us overcome problems that we face in the dialogue (for a solution of the Cyprus problem) and to create all those conditions that will really make us happy to live in a reunified homeland. To live in a family of states which first and foremost sets human rights above everything else, as well as the values of solidarity, the values of humanity, and that is the most important thing of all.”

Commenting on an observation by a reporter that the Turkish Cypriots who were present at the electoral centre today greeted him very warmly, the President said that “I have no doubt that a large part of our (Turkish Cypriot) compatriots suffer, or the most part of our (Turkish Cypriot) compatriots suffer equally (as we do).

The current state of affairs is not to the benefit of anyone and even more it is not to the benefit of the well-being of the citizens as a whole. I want to hope that gradually and through similar procedures they (the Turkish Cypriots) will realize what are the benefits from a solution, where mutual respect will prevail and will create a state that will be able to function free from the claims of any third country.”

Invited to say whether it would be useful for a Turkish Cypriot to be elected among the six European Parliament members coming from Cyprus, the President said that “it is always useful, as long as there are European Cypriot citizens who have every right to participate in all activities and procedures both in Cyprus and in all of Europe.”

(RM/II)