Celebrations in the north

AUTHORITIES in the occupied north are this weekend celebrating the 26th anniversary unilateral declaration of independence. The move, by then leader Rauf Denktash, in 1983 saw the foundation of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’.

Celebrations began on Thursday evening and will continue through to Sunday night.

There is to be a march by schoolchildren in Nicosia on Sunday morning to commemorate the anniversary. A variety of cultural events will also be taking place including contemporary and folk dance shows, a football tournament and classical music concerts.

According to reports, parliamentary representation is being made from 11 countries including Italy, Egypt, Pakistan and Azerbaijan. From Turkey, the state minister responsible for Cyprus, Cemil Cicek, will be in attendance as will General Erdal Ceylanoglu.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday sought to stredd that ‘TRNC’ does not prevent a federation and that the leadership is committed to a federalised solution and working towards it.

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.