President Ersin Tatar reacted to the statement of the Greek Cypriot Defence Minister Haralambos Petridis who said it was their duty to bring to justice EOKA’s struggle and they would continue to fight against Turkey to the end. Tatar stated “The Greek Cypriots are still pursuing a dream that cannot be realized”.

In the statement issued by the TRNC Presidency, Tatar emphasized that the events in Ukraine, war, and weapons only bring death, destruction, and pain and stressed that problems must be resolved through dialogue. It was also stated that the speeches delivered at the memorial services for the senior EOKA member Grigoris Afksendiu was proof that the Greek Cypriot side’s mentality had not changed and will not change.

Noting that while the Greek Cypriot Administration brought Confidence Building Measures to the agenda, on the other hand, they continued armament activities and military exercises and instilled “Turkish hostility” in the youth, Tatar stressed “stop pursuing the outdated EOKA dreams”.