Statement by the General Secretary of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou on the date of the second phase of the Turkish invasion

 

14 August 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

For yet another year, AKEL is holding this symbolic event on the very day marking the start of the second phase of Turkey’s ‘Operation Attila’ invasion. A day on which the Turkish occupation forces captured Famagusta, Morphou and the Karpasia peninsula, leading to the situation we have been living with since 1974, with approximately 37 per cent of the territory of our Cyprus under occupation.

We are holding this event for three reasons. Firstly, to honour those who gave their lives, those who rushed to defend Cyprus’s freedom and territorial integrity, even with meagre resources, even though they were betrayed because behind the Cypriot tragedy lies the treason committed by the Greek junta and EOKA B. There were the conspiracies that were hatched in foreign NATO centres to partition Cyprus. This is the first thing we wish to recall through our symbolic event.

However, the most important thing we always wish to underline is the need to continue our struggle so that we may achieve the liberation of our Cyprus and vindicate our people. Our vindication can be achieved through the attainment of a solution and no other path exists that will put an end to the Turkish occupation and reunite our country and people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, other than the solution of the Cyprus problem whose framework has been agreed since 1977, namely a Bi-zonal, Bi-communal Federation with political equality.

This year’s event is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing initiative by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who – a few months before the end of his term of office – is for he himself to complete a personal effort he undertook several years ago and achieve the solution to the Cyprus problem. His visit to Cyprus a few weeks ago was truly historic, and we should take to heart what he himself said in his statements during that visit.

Namely that he wants to see the completion of the effort, and this means breaking the deadlock, resuming the negotiations from the point at which they were suspended at Crans-Montana in 2017, whilst safeguarding the convergences recorded and the negotiation acquis that has been built up through hard work over several years.

At the same time, we must make use of the Framework the UN Secretary General submitted at Crans-Montana to bring this effort to a conclusion, focusing on the outstanding issues of the Cyprus problem. And there are not many such issues.

For that reason both sides have a duty – and this is the duty that the Secretary-General has set for both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides – to find a way to resume the negotiations.

A common ground does exist: the official position of both sides is to resume negotiations from the point at which they were suspended, whilst safeguarding the convergences. This, therefore, is where we must begin. Both sides must focus on this point so that we can build the necessary momentum and reach the long-awaited solution.

I would like to stress once again something that I believe is widely known. AKEL will never abandon the struggle and the effort to achieve a solution. AKEL will never be deterred by the difficulties that lie ahead. We must overcome these difficulties through our hard work.

As always, AKEL will continue to be at the forefront of the struggle to achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem. This is the key message we wish to convey with today’s symbolic event.