Cyprus settlement
Kat THEOPHANOUS (Northcote) (10:33): This month I joined over 2000 Victorians who gathered at Federation Square in Melbourne to stand together in solidarity for justice, peace and unity in Cyprus. Hundreds travelled from my electorate, where Cypriots and Greeks are strongly represented. The occasion marked 50 years since the military invasion of Cyprus by Türkiye, which resulted in over 170,000 Greek Cypriots being forced from their villages and the ongoing occupation of 37 per cent of the island. Since 1974 a standing Turkish army has remained, and systematic resettlement has changed the island’s demographics in contravention of the Geneva conventions. Once splendid communities are now separated by a UN buffer zone. The pain of mass displacement, loss of loved ones and erasure of whole village communities and ways of life going back thousands of years have left a constant yearning for justice that has not dimmed in half a century. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have a shared history and unique identities, evolving and enduring together, with fates interconnected and deeply rooted in the island. The vast majority want reunification.
It was moving to have Labor MPs from the Victorian and Australian governments, as well as Liberal state and federal MPs, stand up to speak in support of justice for Cyprus. All emphasised the bipartisan, principled and enduring position held by Australia in support of a whole and sovereign republic of Cyprus and denounced the occupation. Fifty years on progress will take all sides showing empathy and humanity and standing against divisive forces that seek permanent annexation. The soul of Cyprus is strong, and I will keep fighting for it to be free and whole.