Cyprus Government Stands Firm on Demand for Turkish Military Archives

Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas confirmed on Sunday that Cyprus will not abandon its demand that Turkey open its military archives to determine the fate of every missing person. Speaking at a memorial service for Eoka fighter Spyros Hadjiyiakoumis at Ayia Varvara Church in Nicosia, Mousiouttas said the government is pursuing diplomatic efforts for an expanded meeting and to resume talks that stalled at Crans‑Montana in 2017, while preserving what has already been agreed. He outlined a framework for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as set out in UN Security Council resolutions, and stressed that no occupation troops, outdated guarantees or third‑party intervention rights should remain. The missing element, he said, is Turkey’s political will. Mousiouttas also rejected a two‑state solution and declared that the partition created by the 1974 invasion would not be legitimised. He noted that the daily freedom enjoyed in government‑controlled areas is a gift from those who gave their lives.