Archbishop of Cyprus again says the island is under Turkish occupation

Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On April 1, 2026, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus said that Cyprus and Greece must treat the Cyprus issue as a problem of “invasion and occupation by Turkey.” He made the statement at an event in Nicosia marking the national anniversaries of March 25, 1821, and April 1, 1955, Orthodoxia News Agency reported.

In his address, the Archbishop stressed that “Cyprus and Greece urgently need to reconsider the Cyprus problem as a problem of invasion and occupation,” adding that “we must fight for liberation, not for a solution shaped by Turkish standards.” He also warned: “If we do not fight vigorously, let us not expect others to fight for us.”

He recalled the significance of the historic struggles of the Cypriot and Greek peoples, noting that present-day efforts must rest on the same ideals of freedom and national dignity. In his words, “in that struggle we will find firm foundations for our own struggle today.”

Cyprus’s Minister of Education, Athina Michaelidou, also speaking at the event, said that “as the illegal Turkish occupation of our homeland continues, we must intensify our struggle for the triumph of justice,” stressing that the authorities are focused on diplomatic efforts “aimed at the liberation and reunification of Cyprus.”

For his part, Greek Ambassador Konstantinos Kollias said that “ending the occupation and reunifying Cyprus are a paramount national goal,” adding that Cyprus “will continue to enjoy the unwavering and unconditional support of Greece and of all Hellenism.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that members of the flock had accused the head of the Church of Cyprus of creating a “spiritual desert.”

Read also