More than a dozen Greek Cypriot students and 10 Kurds were detained in Athens on Thursday after protesting outside the Turkish Embassy while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was visiting the Greek capital, the Cyprus Mail reported on Thursday.
According to the report citing the Greek police, 15 to 20 Greek Cypriot students from the nationalist far-right student organization Drasis-Kes were detained in front of the embassy, while 10 Kurdish protesters were also taken into custody.
Erdoğan visited Athens under tight security, and Greek police have banned all outdoor gatherings until 6 p.m. local time, when the Turkish president is due to leave.
The protesters managed to unfurl a banner that read, “Erdogan, we will fight until the last Turk is out of Cyprus.”
Cypriots arrested in Athens for anti Erdogan slogans‼️
Dear @PrimeministerGR,
How many were arrested for anti @israel slogans?
How many were arrested for death chants against Jews?
How many were arrested for waving flags at protests?
Have Cypriots suddenly become a threat to 🇬🇷? pic.twitter.com/Lv7sWAFqtN— Harry Theocharous (@TheocharousH) December 7, 2023
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, with a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north. This division occurred when Turkey deployed troops to the island following a coup attempt aimed at unifying Cyprus with Greece. Turkey continues to maintain over 30,000 troops in the northern part of the island.
The EU has resisted Erdoğan’s calls for a two-state solution on the island and wants Ankara to allow new UN-brokered talks.
The republic proclaimed by Turkish Cypriot leaders in 1983 is recognized only by Ankara.
Efforts to reunify Cyprus have stalled since the last round of United Nations-backed talks broke down in 2017.
The Greek Cypriot leadership of the Republic of Cyprus rejects the call for a two-state solution and continues to want a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in line with successive UN peace plans.