As we approach the 50th anniversary of the illegal and brutal Turkish invasion of Cyprus, we honour the resilience and strength that defines the Cypriot people and remain committed to helping them achieve a future of freedom, on an island free of Turkish military occupation and illegal Turkish settlers, where all Cypriots can live peacefully in their ancestral homes and properties.
We urge all communities to launch an e-campaign to support this mission by writing to their local member of federal parliament, members of provincial parliaments and legislative assemblies, city councillors and municipal government officials to ask them to speak out against and condemn 50 years of continued illegal occupation of Cyprus by Turkey.
This year, Cypriots and Hellenes across the world are marking the 50th tragic anniversary of Turkey’s illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus in 1974. As we approach July 20th, we are reminded of the thousands of Cypriots who lost their lives, disappeared and are still missing, suffered rape and countless indignities at the hands of the invaders, or became refugees in 1974, while fleeing the marauding Turkish army. We commemorate their sacrifices and vow that we will never lose hope or stop fighting to bring an end to this half-century of forced occupation and division to Cyprus. We urge all the diaspora Cypriots in Canada to make their voices heard by asking all three levels of their government to commit to the freedom of an undivided Cyprus where its people will be free to return their ancestral homes and where their basic human rights will be respected.
This is the reason why the Cypriot Federation of Canada and PSEKA Canada are launching this e-campaign – 2024. Focused on seeking the help of Canadian parliamentarians and politicians for the struggle of the Cypriot people for Justice, Freedom and Human Rights, we strive to secure their support for a free and united Cyprus, through a solution that will allow all Cypriots to live free of military occupation and will:
Provide for a free and united Cyprus, based on the relevant UN Security Resolutions and the European Union Acquis (European Law), of which Cyprus is a member since 2004
Respect the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all Cypriots, including their right to property, freedom of movement and freedom of settlement.
Allow Cypriots to determine their own future, by ensuring only they decide the future of their country, without the imposition of positions or restrictions by Turkey or any other country
Provide for the return of all refugees to their ancestral properties and determine the fate of all missing persons
Safeguard Cyprus’ independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity according to international law, without any foreign interference ∙ Allow Cyprus to fully function as a member state of the European Union, a member of the United Nations, as well as a credible and reliable partner to Canada
We furthermore ask that Canada commits to uphold all UN Security Council Resolutions relating to Cyprus and not support any and all actions by Turkey that undermine or violate the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus or the human rights of the Cypriot people.
Specifically, we ask that Canada does not allow the sale or transfer of arms, military equipment, or technology that can be used in arms manufacturing or for military purposes, which have in the past been used against the Cypriot, Assyrian, Kurdish, Syrian and Armenian people.
We also request that Canada continues its longstanding position of not recognizing the illegal occupation puppet regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, installed by Turkey and propped by 40,000 Turkish occupation troops.
We call for:
A free, united Cyprus for the benefit of all Cypriots
The end of the Turkish occupation of 37% of the island and 57% of its coastline
The immediate withdrawal of all occupying Turkish troops from Cyprus ∙ The immediate return of all refugees to their ancestral homes ∙ The end of the outdated system of guarantees that have failed Cyprus in the past, which were rendered useless and without purpose when Cyprus joined the European Union as a full member in 2004