UN Cyprus Talks Set for Aug. 20 as Border Crossing Deal Eyed
Cyprus marked the 30th anniversary of two Greek Cypriots killed by Turkish forces during 1996 protests in the occupied zone, with no one held accountable for the deaths.
According to The National Herald, the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus issued a statement on August 11 describing the date as “yet another dark anniversary” in a post on the social media platform X.
Tasos Isaak and Solomos Solomou were killed by Turkish military personnel in August 1996 during demonstrations against Turkey’s illegal occupation of the northern portion of Cyprus. The Cypriot government characterized the killings as cowardly and brutal murders that brought grief to Cyprus and Greeks worldwide.
The deaths occurred amid heightened tensions along the buffer zone separating the Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish Pseudostate in Northern Cyprus, which has occupied the territory since Turkey’s 1974 invasion.
The anniversary comes as Cyprus remains divided, with the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus controlling the southern two-thirds of the island while Turkish forces maintain their presence in the north. Turkey is the only nation that recognizes the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The 1996 killings are remembered annually by Greek Cypriots as a symbol of the ongoing occupation and the human cost of Turkey’s military presence on the island. No Turkish personnel were ever held accountable for the deaths.
The Cypriot government continues to seek a resolution to the Cyprus question through United Nations-mediated negotiations, though progress has remained elusive for decades despite multiple rounds of talks.
With information from The National Herald
