Marios Garoyian called for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - The President of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives called for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide on Sunday, the Financial Mirror reported.



"I believe we have the duty to remember the Armenian Genocide and reaffirm our steadfast faith towards the struggle for international recognition of that terrible crime which marked the fate and the course of the Armenian people," said Marios Garoyian, speaking after Sunday mass at the Armenian Church of Nicosia.



"We ask for justice," he added. "We demand the restoration of the historic truth, not its falsification.» The Parliament of Cyprus was the first in the EU to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, in 1982.



Garoyian pointed to recent attempt by Turkey to normalize relations with Armenia as another attempt by Turkey to deny justice to the Armenian people. He described agreements signed by Yerevan and Ankara as an "attempt of the Turkish government" to falsify history though so-called peace with Armenia.



The Cypriot leader drew a connection with the struggle for the Armenian people's struggle for justice and the efforts by Cyprus to overcome nearly 3 decades of Turkish occupation of the northern half of the island.



Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the north, installing a government controlled by Ankara.



"Justice and freedom is what we want for our common country, Cyprus, which for 35 years now suffers the consequences of the Turkish invasion and occupation," Garoyian said.





"We want a just, functional and viable solution, that would restore the unity of Cyprus' territory, its people, its institutions and that would safeguard human rights for all its people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins and bring an end to the Turkish occupation of Cyprus, to Ankara's policy to illegally bring settlers to the island, to Turkish guarantees and intervention rights," he stressed.



Garoyian said that the peace solution in Cyprus must be based on international law, UN values and decisions, human rights and the EU values and principles.