Cyprus on Monday urged the European Union to take immediate action to secure the release of five Greek Cypriot citizens held in the Turkish-controlled north for nearly a month.
Speaking at an informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), Cyprus’ Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Theodora Constantinidou, called for coordinated pressure on Ankara from EU institutions and member states, the ministry said in a statement.
The video conference, convened by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine ahead of an upcoming meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents, as well as developments in the Middle East.
Constantinidou raised the detention issue in addition to the agenda items, describing the arrests as “illegal” and carried out by “occupying forces,” according to the ministry.
Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island after a brief Greek-inspired coup. The latest UN-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2017.