Women demonstrate for peace

GREEK and Turkish Cypriot women yesterday held demonstrations on either side of the Green Line in Nicosia to mark today’s International Women’s Day for Peace.

A statement, prepared on both sides of the divide by members of the Cyprus Women’s Movement (Pogo) was read out. In it, the women called for peace in the face of the deadlock between the two sides and the dangerous situation resulting from this.

The statement went on to say that Pogo was concerned that Cyprus was turning into an arms depot, with more weapons than were needed for the of the island. It also called for a solution to the Cyprus problem by peaceful means through negotiation between the two sides.

A new approach, the statement concluded, was needed if peace was to be found.

Pogo also pointed out that the Denktash regime had put a stop to bi- communal contacts, and Pogo members from the two sides could now only communicate by telephone.

The demonstrations were held between midday and 2pm. The demonstrations went ahead in spite of protests earlier in the day at the Ledra Palace Checkpoint by anti-occupation demonstrators who object to the bi-communal contacts.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.