The Greek side of the divided island nation of Cyprus celebrated the 65th anniversary of its independence with great pomp and fervor.
The ceremony was held in the capital city of Nicosia, and kicked-off with a military parade, which showcased the countrys resilient spirit and ambitions to reunite.
Nikos Christodoulides, the countrys president in his televised speech even called for everyone concerned to continue their hard work into trying to resolve the issue of reuniting the divided nation – which has been in effect since 1974.
President Christodoulides said that while reunification seems mammoth, it is very much achievable. He further highlighted his and the government being committed to making sure every resident of the island nation gets equal access to benefits and rights.
In 1974, the island nation was attacked by the Turkish military troop, followed by a resistance by officers of the Greek Army. Cyprus has since remained a nation divided into two – Greek Cyprus and Turkish Cyprus.
The latter is only recognized by Turkey.
Cyprus originally stood independent on Aug. 16, 1960. However, since 1979, the country has been celebrating it on the 1st of October every year.
