NICOSIA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Greek and Turkish Cypriots marked on Friday the events 44 years ago that led to the partition of Cyprus, as they prepare for yet another go at negotiations for the reunification of their island country.
Turkey mounted a military operation against Cyprus on July 20, 1974, which resulted in the death of an estimated 6,000 Greek Cypriots.
It also led to the displacement of close to 200,000 people, or one third of the Greek Cypriot population, who fled their homes in as Turkish troops occupied the northern part of the island. There are also about 1,000 people missing since 1974.
The mood among Greek Cypriots was a somber one, as they held memorial ceremonies for their dead.
While Turkish Cypriots and mainland Turks who settled in Cyprus by the tens of thousands celebrated what they call the "peace operation" in a festive mood and invited deputies from several countries to the celebrations.
A military parade was held in the Turkish part of Nicosia, and an aerobatics squadron of the Turkish Air Force performed over the northern coasts of Cyprus.
Turkey sent its vice president Fuat Oktay to take the salute, along with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, of the parade in which tanks, armored vehicles, and elite troops took part.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a congratulatory message to Turkish Cypriots on the "celebration of peace and freedom", said Turkey will not allow them to become the victims of what he called "the non-solution of the Cyprus problem".
Cyprus President Anastasiades, who heads the internationally-recognized government of Cyprus, attended a memorial event and paid his respects to the thousands who died during the fighting.
He said the sole aim of Greek Cypriots is a solution reunifying Cyprus as soon as possible that will be functional and lasting.
Both Anastasiades and Akinci are scheduled to separately meet an envoy of the UN Secretary General Antontio Guterres on Monday to talk about returning to the peace negotiations which broke down a year ago.
Guterres mandated UN official Jane Holl Lute to talk to all interested parties and come up with a report on the prospects of restarting the Cyprus negotiations.
More specifically, the Secretary General wants replies from the parties involved on whether they accept a six-point framework for a strategic agreement on a Cyprus settlement he submitted at an international conference in Switzerland in July 2017.
After talking with Anastasiades and Akinci, Lure will have talks with officials of the guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union, since Cyprus is an EU member state.
