Cyprus marks 30th anniversary of military coup

XINHUA NEWS AGENCY.
July 15, 2004, Thursday 11:16 AM Eastern Time

NICOSIA

Cyprus on Thursday marked the 30th anniversary of 1974 military coup,
paying tribute to those who lost lives defending the republic.

The military coup against President of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios,
engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece, was followed five
days later by the Turkish military intervention, which resulted in the
de facto division of the island.

Sirens began to wail at 08:20 a.m. local time (0520GMT), the very time
when the coup took place.

A church service for those killed during the coup was held at Saints
Constantinos and Eleni Church in Nicosia, in the presence of Cyprus
President Tassos Papadopoulos, House President Demetris Christofias,
Ambassador of Greece to Cyprus Christos Panagopoulos, political
officials and relatives of the victims.

When addressing the ceremony, Interior Minister Andreas Christou said
the government condemned the coup and the Turkish intervention while
honoured all those who fought and especially those killed for
democracy and freedom in Cyprus.

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to reunite the
state and the people within the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal
federation on the basis of the Annan plan so that “all people, Greek
Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, A rmenians, Maronites and Latins, will be
able to live peacefully and in brotherhood.”

“We do not abandon this vision. We renew our hopes and our efforts and
we declare to be ready to take the big step for conciliation and
compromise,” he promised.

President Papadopoulos and other officials laid wreaths at the tombs
of those killed defending the republic.

The 56-seat House of Representatives held afterwards a special session
to mark the events.

Cyprus was divided into north Turkish cypriots part and south Greek
Cypriots part when Turkey entered the island in 1974 after a failed
Greek coup seeking union with Greece.

In April, two separate referendums were held simultaneously on both
sides on the Cyprus reunion plan, only rejected by the Greek Cypriots
south with an overwhelming no.

This led the world-recognized south into the European Union on May 1,
while the Turkish Cypriots north was left outside the body.