DEPUTIES are calling on President Tassos Papadopoulos not to cave in to pressure to scrap this year’s Nikiforos military exercise in October.
Since 2001, the Nikiforos exercises have been cancelled every year in a bid not to raise tensions in the region.
But this year, various politicians are calling for the exercise to go ahead, claiming foreign powers are putting pressure on the government to call off the war games.
Nikiforos is the biggest annual exercise of the Cyprus National Guard. It takes place in tandem with the Greek military exercise Toxotis.
Speaking to state radio, AKEL deputy Doros Christodoulides said: “The threat of Turkey and its continuous military upgrading on the island is still very real and very apparent. This is a strong reason why we need to look after and maintain the National Guard on the island.”
DIKO’s Zacharias Koulias said it was vital that Nikiforos should go ahead and that it was the duty of every Greek Cypriot to maintain the level of military preparedness so as to “safeguard our rights”.
“Nothing positive came out of the cancellation of the military exercises in the previous years so why should we cancel them again? It is of the utmost importance that we look after the military and one of the ways to do this is by conducting military exercises.”
Koulias said Cyprus should make a stand towards upholding the military in the same way as President Tassos Papadopoulos took a stand against “outside pressure” during the 2004 referendum on the Annan plan.
“People should understand that Tassos Papadopoulos took the entire island, from Karpasia to Polis Chrysochous, and placed it into the European Union. During that time, outside influences were trying to destroy our nation by flooding millions of dollars into the island so the referendum vote could swing in their favour. But the President stood like a rock and stopped it from happening.
“So therefore it is our duty to look after and protect this small piece of land which bears our rights and the rights of our children. Whoever can’t handle that fact should step aside and let somebody else take over.”
DISY deputy and former Minister of Defence Socrates Hasikos, who has recently called for a reduction in military service, also said the exercises were important for the safety of the island.
“The Nikiforos drill is an exercise which is vital and should be upheld and conducted. By not conducting military exercises we are first of all endangering ourselves. As for Greece’s involvement, that is a decision for the Greek government.”
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides refrained from commenting on the question.
“As far as I know, the exercise will be going ahead as normal and the government has received no outside pressure on the cancellation of the exercise.”
