Mourning and celebration as Cyprus marks 50 years since invasion

Air raid sirens wailed across Nicosia at dawn on Saturday as Greek Cypriots mourned, and Turkish Cypriots celebrated 50 years since the Turkish invasion.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were due to separately attend events on either side of the split island, showing their respective support for the rival sides.

Though relations have recently thawed between Turkey and Greece, Cyprus remains an emotional trigger.

Erdogan was to observe a celebratory military parade in northern Nicosia marking what Turkey describes as a “peace and freedom operation”.

In the south, church memorial services mourned the dead, and Mitsotakis was due to attend an event on Saturday evening marking what Greek Cypriots call a “black anniversary”.

President Nikos Christodoulides said the day was a sombre one of reflection and remembrance of the dead.

“If we really want to honour all those people who were sacrificed for us to be here today – as the Republic of Cyprus – we have to do all we can for a (peace) dialogue to restart,” Christodoulides said on Friday evening.

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