Demonstrations for and against a Cyprus settlement took place on both sides of the divide on Tuesday, shortly before UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s dinner with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
Shortly before the dinner, a gathering of citizens took place outside the Office of the UN Representative, calling for a federal solution to the Cyprus problem. Those present included AKEL general secretary Stefanos Stefanou and Averof Neofytou.
Earlier in the day, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot members of the bicommunal peace initiative United Cyprus held a gathering in favour of federation outside the House for Cooperation in the buffer zone at Ledra Palace.
The group handed a memorandum to a UNFICYP representative to pass on to the UN Secretary-General, who passed the location but did not stop.
The same initiative organised a larger gathering in support of Guterres’s efforts, which began at 6.30pm at the entrance to Nicosia airport. A similar gathering was planned at the roundabout near the Agios Dometios crossing point in the occupied area.
Another group in favour of a solution and peace was waiting for Guterres just after his motorcade crossed the Ledra Palace crossing point on the Turkish Cypriot side.
The group was made up of members of other unions and organisations, organised by the Turkish Cypriot Peace Association, which regularly welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín, at the same spot whenever she travels to the occupied area to meet the Turkish Cypriot leader.
Meanwhile, although its cancellation had been announced on Monday afternoon by the general secretary of the settlers’ Rebirth party, a demonstration by “unorganised citizens” against the Guterres visit went ahead at the roundabout near the new “presidential” building, though without significant turnout, according to Turkish Cypriot media.
Another similar group of protesters gathered at the “civil defence” junction — both locations central points in the occupied area of Nicosia — holding Turkish flags and flags of the “TRNC.” The “Turkish Resistance Organisation” (TMT) had announced it would take part in both protests.
(images source: MATTPRESS)
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