Peace activists call for ‘immediate return’ to talks

PEACE activists from both sides of the divide converged at the Ledra Street crossing in the buffer zone in Nicosia on Thursday evening, demanding a resumption of talks to reunify the island.

The event came hours before the leaders of the two communities – president Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci – were set to meet on Friday.

The march and demonstration were organised by the groups Bi-communal Initiative United Cyprus, and Famagusta Our Town.

In a statement, Greek and Turkish Cypriot activists demanded “an immediate return to the negotiating table for a strategic agreement on the six outstanding issues based on the Guterres Framework.”

They said “a clear response” needed to be sent to the United Nations Secretary General that his proposed framework should be the basis for negotiation without any preconditions.

The activists also called for a “clear commitment that all that has already been agreed up to Crans Montana shall be respected.”

They held up banners, one of which read: “Give us back our homeland or we will send you home!”

On Friday, the groups will be handing over a resolution of their own to the two leaders.

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.