Disy leader Annita Demetriou said on Wednesday that “patriotism means working for a better homeland”, as she called for a “free and reunified Cyprus”.

Speaking at an event in Larnaca to mark the October 28 Oxi anniversary, Dimitriou said the defence of national interests requires “strategy, boldness and determination”.

On the Cyprus problem, she repeated the party’s call for a Cyprus “without occupation troops or outdated guarantees”.

She said Turkey “cannot expect preferential treatment from the European Union while it occupies European territory and breaches international law”.

Demetriou recalled the Greek “No” of 1940 and said the resistance that followed showed that freedom, dignity and the defence of law depend on “the strength of a people’s resolve” rather than on the size of a state or the superiority of its weapons.

She also cited Cyprus’ contribution to the Second World War, in which more than 30,000 volunteers took part.

Dimitriou placed particular weight on the state’s duty to young people, saying the government should offer “quality education, affordable housing and decent salaries”, along with “real opportunities for professional and personal development”.

She described the Oxi anniversary as more than an occasion for historical remembrance, saying it is also a reminder of responsibility towards future generations.

“Let us not compromise with half a homeland. Let us not accept injustice as normality”, she concluded.

A 33-year-old woman has been arrested over the importation of about one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine discovered in the post, police reported on Wednesday.

She was detained shortly before 9am under a court warrant following an investigation by the drug squad Ykan and the intelligence unit.

A 42-year-old man was previously arrested on October 23 after going to a post office to collect the package containing the drugs.

He remains in eight-day detention following a court order issued on October 24 as police investigate the case.

During Wednesday’s operation, officers also arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly staying illegally in the Republic.

Investigations into the suspected drug trafficking case are continuing, police said.

Residents along Limassol’s seafront, from the Old Port to Dasoudi, have convenient access to public transport, with all living within a five-minute walk of the nearest stop, according to a new Walkably study.

It estimates 2,762 people reside in this area, compared to 86.9per cent of the rest of Limassol.

The analysis highlights public transport accessibility across the city amid ongoing discussions about improving the transport network, including the potential introduction of a tram.

Walkably founder Raian Pollock noted, “the study measured actual walking distances along streets and paths rather than straight-line distances.”

The median walk time to the nearest stop is two minutes in the seafront area, compared to 2.7 minutes elsewhere.

“However, the gap narrows at ten minutes, with 97.8per cent of residents citywide able to reach a stop in that time, while all seafront residents can,” he said.

The study estimates Limassol’s population at 103,812, with 87.2per cent living within a five-minute walk of a stop.

Proximity, however, does not guarantee a reliable service. Pollock pointed out that the study focuses on distance rather than bus frequency or routes.

“The research, based on Eurostat 2021 data, acknowledges that bus stop frequency needs to be assessed to gauge service quality,” Pollock added.

The study considers factors like traffic and slope, it does not account for pavement width or road safety.

While seafront residents enjoy easy access to public transport, the findings alone cannot determine if a tram or improved bus services would be more effective in enhancing the city’s transport system.

The study and interactive map are available at walkably.org/city/cy/limassol/

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Cyprus on Thursday and Friday for talks with President Nikos Christodoulides, the government spokesman said.

Abbas will be received at the Presidential Palace for a private meeting, followed by a working lunch with delegations from both sides.

It is the third contact between the two leaders since Christodoulides took office, with the last being held in May 2025 in Palestine.

The agenda covers the Middle East and Cyprus’ humanitarian role, in particular the ‘Amalthea’ sea corridor for aid shipments to Gaza.

The leaders will also discuss bilateral relations, EU-Palestine relations, developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the Cyprus problem.

The government said the visit reflects the “historical ties between Nicosia and Ramallah”.

Relations date to the 1960s and 1970s, when Archbishop Makarios took Cyprus into the Non-Aligned Movement, and the island recognised the State of Palestine immediately after its 1988 declaration.

A Cypriot representative office opened in Ramallah in 2009, and after the 2012 UN General Assembly vote, it was upgraded to a full embassy, among the first in the EU.

Demetris Christofias, president from 2008 to 2013, made the relationship a visible part of his foreign policy.

On his first official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Christofias met Abbas in Ramallah, and the two signed five bilateral agreements.

His term also covered the opening of the Ramallah office and the 2012 upgrade to an embassy.

Abbas’ last visit was in June 2022, when then President Nicos Anastasiades said close ties with Israel would not come at the expense of Palestinians’ “legitimate rights”. Christodoulides visited Ramallah in August 2023.

President Nikos Christodoulides visited Ramallah in 2023 and laid a wreath at Yasser Arafat’s tomb, and in March 2024 the first aid ship for Gaza left a Cypriot port.

Israel once declared Androulla Vassiliou, wife of former president George Vassiliou, persona non grata after a delegation she led tried to meet Arafat, who was confined to his compound in Ramallah.

Abbas has led the Palestinian Authority since 2005, with its Fatah-dominated administration governing parts of the West Bank, while Hamas has run Gaza.

A 45-year-old woman has reported losing €1,219 after falling victim to an online scam, the police said on Wednesday, while also warning people to be wary of possible further scam operations.

The woman said she had received a text message regarding an unpaid fine, and clicked a link in that text message, which took her to a website which prompted her to enter her car’s registration details.

At this point, she said, a fake document appeared on the page containing information about a fine worth €6.59.

She said she then clicked on an option to pay the fine and entered her personal details, as well as her bank details, into the website, though she did not complete the transaction.

However, when she later checked her bank account, she found that she had made a payment of €1,219.

The police said its investigation into the matter is ongoing, and advised the public that it “never communicates” in this way to call on members of the public to pay fine.

Additionally, it called upon the public to “be particularly cautious when receiving messages containing electronic links”.

“It is recommended that the public avoid following such electronic links and never provide or enter personal or banking information on unknown websites,” it said, before urging the public to reach out to the police should they have doubts over the veracity of messages they have received.

Disy president Annita Demetriou on Wednesday said that recent events threatened the unity of the party and called for the party to be put first amid ongoing tensions.

“It [the unity of the party] is certainly threatened. That is why I say that it also depends on our behaviour and actions. And we should all put Disy first and above all and of course, above Disy, our Cyprus,” she said, speaking at the October 28 parade in Nicosia.

Asked to comment on the latest installment in the Disy infighting after former finance minister Harris Georgiades handed her his resignation letter from his post at the Glafcos Clerides Institute on Tuesday, she said that she would not be accepting his resignation.

Demetriou said that there would be another attempt to resolve the issue and emphasised that “the result should be completely respected.”

“Disy members will vote, speak and decide,” she said, adding that the message of the day would be that “we should all do our own reflection”.

Demetriou on Tuesday had said that issues that arise within the party needed to be resolved through dialogue and not through resignations.

In a post on X she said that her personal decision was driven solely by her desire to unify the party.

“The resignation of Harris Georgiades from the position of president of the Glafkos Clerides Institute is not acceptable. Issues are not resolved through resignations, but through dialogue and this is what I will seek to do in the coming period,” she wrote.

Georgiades had offered his resignation as chairman of the Disy-affiliated Glafcos Clerides Institute thinktank and announced that he would not campaign for former Disy leader Averof Neophytou in the 2028 presidential elections if the latter wins Disy’s election to be its candidate.

Internal tensions unfolding within Disy came to a head after Averof Neophytou and George Pamboridis both formally submitted their candidacies for Disy’s presidential nomination on Monday.

This set the stage for an internal contest ahead of the 2028 presidential election with the winning candidate set to be chosen on November 28.

The race is taking place amid divisions within the party following the 2023 presidential election, with the outcome expected to influence both the direction of the party’s leadership and its chances of returning to government after Demetriou withdrew her own candidacy from the contest for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination in early October.

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas has said that Greek F-16 fighter jets and a Greek Navy vessel now have a permanent presence in Cyprus, in what appears to mark a shift from his earlier statements that the deployment was temporary.

“There is a permanent presence of F16 fighter aircraft while at the same time there is a Greek Navy vessel permanently in Cyprus, ” he said, with Thessaloniki port as the backdrop to his statements.

Speaking to Defence Redefined in the city, where he attended Wednesday’s celebrations marking the anniversary of October 28, 1940, Palmas said defence cooperation between Cyprus and Greece had moved “from slogans to political action”.

He described cooperation between Athens and Nicosia as excellent at both political and military levels, stressing the close historical and national ties between the two countries.

Palmas also referred to the participation of Cypriot commandos in the Ochi Day military parade, a first, saying their presence carried both symbolic and practical significance, demonstrating the close relationship between the armed forces of the two countries.

The minister highlighted bilateral defence agreements and joint programmes, including cooperation under the European Union’s Safe defence financing scheme.

Turning to Cyprus’ wider defence partnerships, Palmas referred to cooperation with European countries, including France and Israel, which has become an increasingly important supplier of military equipment to the National Guard.

He confirmed that a new contract for the acquisition of an offshore patrol vessel from Israel had been signed on October 26.

The agreement involves Israel Shipyards building the new vessel, with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems supplying its naval systems, while the existing Ioannides patrol vessel will also undergo a systems upgrade.

The deal follows earlier Israeli media reports of a naval procurement agreement valued at approximately €150 million.

Palmas indicated that further Israeli defence equipment programmes are being planned to meet the operational requirements of the National Guard and strengthen the Republic’s deterrent capabilities.

His remarks came as he met Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias in Thessaloniki on Wednesday, with the two ministers discussing the latest international security developments and bilateral defence cooperation.

The minister’s latest statements on the Greek military presence are particularly significant given that, Palmas had explicitly ruled out any decision on a permanent deployment of Greek military assets to the island.

In the statements made in June, he said the F-16s and the Greek frigate Elli remained in Cyprus as part of a temporary deployment following heightened regional tensions.

“We have not discussed either a temporary extension or a permanent presence,” he said in June, adding that any longer-term arrangement would depend on a reassessment of security conditions.

The latest Greek frigate publicly identified as deployed to Cyprus is the Nikiforos Fokas (F-466), which replaced the Elli in July following the latter’s almost 100-day deployment. Like its predecessors, the vessel is equipped with Greece’s Kentavros counter-drone system.

The deployment forms part of a continuous Greek naval presence established in March, following the drone strike on the British base at Akrotiri. The frigates Kimon and Psara were initially dispatched, followed by the Elli and subsequently the Nikiforos Fokas.

Palmas and Dendias had reviewed the deployment during talks in Athens, with the Cypriot minister describing Greece’s response as providing a “protective umbrella” for the Republic.

Although Palmas maintained in June that the deployment was temporary, Greek military aircraft and naval vessels continued to operate in and around Cyprus in subsequent months.

In September, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis described the deployment as a demonstration of Greece’s military capabilities.

In an interview with the Cyprus Mail in June, Palmas defended Cyprus’ expanding network of defence partnerships, insisting that the Republic would not seek anyone’s approval before entering into military agreements.

“The Republic of Cyprus is a recognised state and has every right to conclude agreements, develop relations and forge alliances with any member of the international community it considers appropriate,” he said at the time.

“We will not ask anyone’s permission for the agreements we make, whether they concern the country’s political activity, defence or security. The security of our citizens is non-negotiable.”

The government has also budgeted more than €1.28billion for defence strengthening between 2027 and 2029, with spending expected to rise substantially as procurement programmes move forward.

President Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday he was “deeply saddened by the tragic train collision in Spain”.

In a post on X, Christodoulides extended his “profound condolences to the families of the victims, to the Spanish people, and to PM”.

“We stand in resolute solidarity with Spain during this time of sorrow,” he added.

At least 30 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, the second deadly accident in less than a year on the line connecting Madrid to the southern Andalusia region, regional authorities said.

Footage from regional Castilla-La Mancha television showed a derailed train with several carriages remaining on an elevated section of track while twisted metal, broken panels and wreckage could be seen strewn across an embankment beneath the line.

Castilla-La Mancha regional government said the death toll had risen to 30 from 10 after earlier warning it could rise.

The collision comes nine months after an accident between high-speed trains belonging to the same operators on the same line that killed 46 people.

That crash in January, which occurred after a train derailed and smashed into an oncoming train near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, triggered a debate about the level of investment in railway maintenance in recent years.

European Union Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis is scheduled to visit Cyprus on Thursday and Friday for a series of official engagements concerning sustainable water management, the fisheries sector and the development of marine sciences.

Kadis will begin his visit on Thursday, October 29, and participate in the Circular Water Economy conference, being held at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia.

Following the event, Kadis will meet with Environment Commissioner Elias Myrianthous.

On Friday, the commissioner will visit the Zygi fishing harbour, where he will engage directly with the local fishing community.

Kadis will subsequently meet with representatives of the fisheries sector at the Zygi community council, where he is expected to exchange views on the challenges faced by the sector and the future of sustainable fishing.

His visit will conclude with the foundation stone ceremony for the Cyprus University of Technology’s school of marine sciences in Larnaca.

A 65-year-old man was hospitalised in serious condition on Wednesday after losing control of his vehicle on the Polis Chrysochous-Argaka road, hitting a tree and stopping on the safety barrier.

The police said the accident happened at 2.20am.

The man was taken to Paphos general hospital where he was intubated in the intensive care unit with multiple injuries and fractures.

The police are investigating the circumstances of the accident.

The future of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), which, if completed, will link the energy grids of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel, is “being handled away from the public eye”, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, with it yet to be confirmed as and when seabed surveys for the project’s construction will begin.

“Everything which needs to be done regarding this specific matter, in terms of the Republic of Cyprus exercising its sovereign rights, is being handled away from the public eye and without excessive public statements,” he said on the sidelines of a parade to mark ‘Ochi Day’, the anniversary of Greece’s entry into the Second World War.

It is widely expected that a navtex, a message used to transmit information to seaborne vessels, regarding planned seabed surveys for the laying of cables for the GSI project, will be issued in the coming weeks, though matters have been complicated by the fact that part of the interconnector’s planned route passes through seas which are claimed by both Greece and Turkey.

Of this, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had stressed last week that his country will not “raise any objections” to the interconnector’s construction, provided that it is given prior warning ahead of the navtex by the governments of Greece and France, the country in which the project’s majority stakeholder, asset management firm Meridiam, is based.

“What we are asking is that when a ship conducts research at sea, it send us a written notification, not just an oral one, stating, ‘we are going to undertake specific actions in this area, here are the coordinates’. That is all we are asking for. Nothing more,” he said.

On this front, Cypriot Energy Minister Michael Damianos had said two weeks ago that the navtex for the seabed surveys will be issued before the end of this month, with the Greek coastguard having said that French-flagged research ship the Abeille Marengo will be the ship conducting the surveys.

Damianos said last week that “if the project progresses”, it is believed that it will be fully completed by 2031.

Turkey’s claim to regional seas may be strengthened by Libya deal

However, Turkey’s claim to the seas through which the interconnector may pass appears to have been strengthened in recent weeks, with Libya’s parliament last week having unanimously ratified a maritime boundary agreement its government had signed with Turkey in 2019.

That agreement saw Turkey and Libya define where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZ) border one another in the eastern Mediterranean, with that border, according to the agreement, falling between two points southeast of the Greek island of Crete, where the interconnector cable will connect to Greece.

Greece and the Republic of Cyprus object to the deal, saying that Turkey and Libya do not share a maritime border because islands are each entitled to a full EEZ, and that therefore, the sea in question belongs to Cyprus and Crete. Turkey’s position is that islands are not entitled to a full EEZ.

That agreement has received international pushback, with the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas having told Fidan that the deal “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states”, while European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had said that they “deeply regret” it.

“We reaffirm our solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. We reiterate the EU’s well-known position against any outside interference in Libya,” they said.

In response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “we are not, so to speak, trying to score a goal against anyone in the eastern Mediterranean”, but that “we are only concerned with protecting our maritime jurisdiction areas, rights, and interests”.

President Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday promised to do “everything humanly possible” to bring about progress towards a solution to the Cyprus problem, as he spoke on the sidelines of a parade to mark ‘Ochi Day’, the anniversary of Greece’s entry into the Second World War.

“A meeting took place yesterday in a very positive atmosphere. The discussion was constructive, and I hope, this is what I wish to promise the Cypriot people today, on such an important day for Hellenism, that I will do everything humanly possible to ensure positive developments,” he said.

He had met Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Tuesday, and said after that meeting that both he and Erhurman had “agreed not to make further statements regarding specific issues” related to the Cyprus problem until, at the very least, United Nations Cyprus problem envoy Maria Angela Holguin arrives on the island on Thursday.

Both leaders had also met the bicommunal technical committees on cultural heritage and on youth, as well as the civil society steering committee, following their one-on-one meeting.

Of those meetings, Christodoulides said that they were “constructive” and that “various views and suggestions were put forward” by committee members.

He added that those suggestions will be discussed by himself and Erhurman going forward.

Christodoulides insists Varosha proposal is ‘mutually beneficial’

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Christodoulides had stressed that his proposal to open and repopulate the fenced-off area of Varosha under the United Nations’ administration and open the port of Famagusta under the European Union’s control is “mutually beneficial”.

“I believe this is a mutually beneficial proposal. It creates a positive situation for both sides and serves as a practical test of whether we are truly committed to moving forward, specifically by taking bold confidence-building measures which also send a strong message to society as a whole,” he said.

Erhurman had said last week that he had rejected the proposal, lamenting that it fell short of an entry into force of the European Union’s direct trade regulation.

“Is this the entry into force of the direct trade regulation? No, it is not the entry into force of the regulation, but since [the port] would be under EU control, direct trade would begin,” he said.

As such, he said, the proposal was unbalanced.

The direct trade regulation is a pending EU regulation which would allow Turkish Cypriot goods, as certified by the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce, to be exported directly into Europe via the Green Line, and given preferential treatment inside the European single market as European goods.

It was proposed in July 2004, three months after the rejection of the Annan plan to reunify Cyprus by the Greek Cypriot side in a referendum, and shortly after the Republic of Cyprus’ accession to the EU.

Menelaou had cited progress on crossing points

Previously, Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou had said that a dispute over the routing of the planned transit road between Athienou and the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia “has been overcome”.

He said that the outstanding dispute now remains over the question of whether a planned crossing point to connect Louroujina, the southernmost Turkish Cypriot village, with nearby Lymbia, will open at the same time.

The Turkish Cypriot side’s position is that the road between Athienou and Aglandjia constitutes two crossing points, one in Athienou and one in Aglandjia, and that they are part of a package of four alongside plans for a crossing point in the eastern Nicosia suburb of Mia Milia, and one in Louroujina.

However, the Greek Cypriot side treats the road between Athienou and Aglandjia as one crossing point, counterweighted by the Mia Milia crossing point, and is therefore of the view that the Louroujina crossing point should only be opened if a second transit road, through the Turkish Cypriot Kokkina exclave in the Tillyria region, also be opened.

There can be no compromise on matters of sovereignty and national dignity, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday, as Cyprus marked the 86th anniversary of October 28, 1940, with commemorative events and parades across the island.

Speaking to reporters following the Ochi Day parade in Nicosia, Christodoulides drew on the lessons of Greece’s historic resistance against fascist Italy during the Second World War, stressing that the values defended in 1940 remain relevant today.

“There are many messages from the epic of 1940 and the resistance of the Greeks. What I would like to focus on is that when it comes to sovereignty and dignity, there can be no compromises or concessions,” he said.

“Whatever the cost, our brothers in Greece demonstrated that on these matters there can be no compromises or concessions.”

The president also highlighted the contribution of Cypriots to the Allied war effort, noting that almost 20,000 had fought alongside Greece and the Allied forces during the Second World War, with many losing their lives.

He said their sacrifices were an important part of the anniversary’s significance, stressing that honouring such occasions also meant following the example set by the Greeks in 1940, adapted to present-day circumstances.

Christodoulides congratulated those who participated in Wednesday’s parade, including students, representatives of occupied municipalities and communities, and organised groups.

He also welcomed the Lyceum of Greek Women from Kavala and the Corfu Philharmonic, which took part in the commemorations.

The president had earlier attended the official church service marking the anniversary before taking the salute at the parade in Nicosia.

He concluded by extending his wishes to Greeks in Cyprus, Greece and around the world.

The anniversary, widely known as Ochi Day, commemorates Greece’s historic refusal to surrender to an Italian ultimatum on October 28, 1940, and the resistance that followed against fascism and, later, Nazism.

In Nicosia, a celebratory church service was held at the Apostle Barnabas Cathedral, officiated by Archbishop Georgios, in the presence of President Nikos Christodoulides, House president Annita Demetriou, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, Greek ambassador Konstantinos Kollias and members of the political and military leadership. Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis delivered the commemorative address.

Similar events were held in towns and communities across the government-controlled areas.

The government was represented by Transport Minister Evi Tsolaki in Limassol, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis in Paphos, Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki in Larnaca and Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis in Paralimni.

The cabinet approved an interior ministry proposal on Tuesday for new regulations on issuing building permits, with the aim of simplifying and modernising procedures. The regulations will be sent to parliament for approval.

“This amendment replaces the complicated current system with a simplified, clear and more effective framework,” Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said, speaking after the cabinet meeting.

Ioannou explained that the amendment abolishes the geographical division of Cyprus into three categories with different cost factors, simplifies the methodology for calculating fees depending on the category of development, gets rid of the graduated charge based on the area for buildings and the division of land into plots, as well as additional charges for external works, clarifies when fees would be paid and lays out specific provisions for refunds.

“Our main aim is to reduce complexity, enhance transparency and uniformity, and make procedures faster, to the benefit of citizens, researchers, construction sector professionals and authorities,” he said.

The minister said fast-track permits for low and medium risk projects have so far yielded results, with over 3,000 permits for single and duplex houses already issued, as well as over 1,500 permits for blocks of flats of up to 20 apartments, within 80 working days.

“With this decision we are taking another step towards a more modern and functional system for issuing permits, with less bureaucracy, clearer regulations and more effective procedures,” Ioannou said.

Four men were on Wednesday remanded in custody for eight days after having been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal crossings across the Green Line.

The four, of whom two are aged 23 years old, one is 22 years old, and the other 19, were arrested on Tuesday morning after a police officer in Nicosia came across a group of people he found to be “suspicious”.

He called for backup, with the arriving officers finding seven people who were found to have crossed the Green Line illegally.

Further examinations found that four of those seven people are recipients of political asylum in Cyprus, while the police reported that they were “involved in the illegal smuggling of migrants”.

As such, the four were arrested, while the other three were taken to the Pournara migrant reception centre.

A 53-year-old man has been remanded in custody for five days after police seized approximately 104 grammes of cocaine at his home in Paphos district, authorities said on Wednesday.

Officers searched the property at around 5pm on Tuesday under a court warrant.

The man allegedly ran into his yard and threw a black bag into a nearby field.

Officers found the cocaine inside and arrested him.

A subsequent search of the home uncovered a precision scale with cocaine traces, €800 in cash and a wooden utensil bearing traces of the drug.

The man appeared before Paphos District Court on Wednesday, which issued the five-day detention order to facilitate investigations.

The Paphos branch of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime’s drug squad (Ykan) is continuing its inquiries.

The message of unity behind Greece’s historic “No” of October 28, 1940, remains more relevant than ever for Cyprus, which continues to live with the consequences of the Turkish invasion and occupation, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters following an Ochi Day church service at the Metropolitan Church of Ayios Theodoros in Paphos, Letymbiotis paid tribute to the struggles of the Greek people against fascism and highlighted the importance of passing their legacy on to future generations.

“Today we honour the heroic ‘No’ in a city, Paphos, which, it is worth remembering, protested against fascism in 1941 and supported the struggle of the Greeks, through the then locum tenens of the archiepiscopal throne,” he said.

He described the anniversary as a reminder not only of the struggle against fascism and the right of nations to sovereignty, but also of the unity demonstrated by the Greek people.

“The message of unity cannot fail to be relevant in a country that has been experiencing illegal occupation for 52 years as a result of the brutal invasion,” he said.

Letymbiotis stressed that the lessons of 1940 should serve as a reminder never to abandon just struggles or the defence of national interests, values and ideals upheld by previous generations.

“This is the message we must preserve and pass on to future generations: we must never abandon just struggles, never abandon the struggles that defend our national interests and the values and ideals our ancestors fought for,” he said.

He concluded by extending his wishes to Greece and Greeks everywhere, expressing the hope that “next year will find us with a free homeland”.

Following the service, Letymbiotis laid a wreath at the October 28 memorial in Paphos before taking the salute at the student parade marking the anniversary.

Severe storms that struck the island from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning have caused power outages in the regions of Larnaca and Limassol.

According to the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), outages occurred in Dromolaxia, Ayios Theodoros and Skarinou in the Larnaca district, with the latter two being resolved by 10am.

In the Limassol district, faults occurred in Arsos, Koilani and Pyrgos Lemesou. The outages are expected to be resolved by midday.

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas met his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Thessaloniki on Wednesday, with discussions focusing on the latest international security developments and defence cooperation between Cyprus and Greece, as the two countries marked the 86th anniversary of October 28, 1940.

Palmas is representing the Cyprus government at the Ochi Day celebrations in Thessaloniki, which culminate in a major military parade attended by Greece’s political and military leadership.

“I had the pleasure of meeting today in Thessaloniki with the Defence Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Vasilis Palmas, on the anniversary of October 28, 1940,” Dendias said in a social media post.

“We discussed the latest international developments concerning security issues and defence cooperation between our countries,” he added.

Speaking separately to ‘Defence Redefined’in Thessaloniki, Palmas said defence cooperation between Cyprus and Greece had moved “from slogans to political action”, pointing to what he described as the permanent presence of Greek F-16 fighter jets and a Greek Navy vessel in Cyprus.

He said cooperation between Athens and Nicosia was excellent at both political and military levels, highlighting bilateral agreements and joint programmes, including those under the EU’s SAFE defence financing scheme. He also described the participation of Cypriot commandos in the Thessaloniki military parade as both symbolic and a practical demonstration of the close ties between the two countries.

Turning to defence procurement, Palmas referred to Cyprus’ cooperation with France and Israel, confirming that a contract for the acquisition of a new offshore patrol vessel from Israel had been signed on October 26. He added that further Israeli defence equipment programmes were being planned to strengthen the National Guard’s deterrent capabilities.

Palmas on Wednesday described Greece’s historic “No” of October 28, 1940, as a defining moment in Greek history and a symbol of resistance with worldwide significance, as he attended Ochi Day commemorations in Thessaloniki.

In a message on social media marking the 86th anniversary, Palmas said the Greek people’s refusal to surrender to fascist Italy sent a powerful message against totalitarianism, expansionism and disregard for human dignity.

He said the events of 1940 left behind an enduring responsibility to preserve historical memory, defend democratic ideals and strengthen unity among Greeks.

That responsibility, he added, extended to working towards “a Europe and a world where freedom, peace and justice are non-negotiable values and firm foundations.”

Palmas concluded by extending his wishes to Greeks around the world.

The Cyprus presidency also marked the anniversary, paying tribute to the Greek people’s resistance against fascism and their contribution to the wider Allied struggle during the Second World War.

“We honour the epic of 1940, the unparalleled resistance of the Greek people and the Greek nation against fascism, which marked a milestone in the broader effort to halt the Axis powers,” the presidency said.

It added that the events of 1940 demonstrated that “the dignity and pride of a people cannot be measured by the strength of weapons.”

The foreign ministry similarly described October 28 as a day of determination and resistance, when Greeks stood united in defence of their freedom and national independence.

It also highlighted the contribution of Cypriots who supported Greece during the war.

“Cypriots stood alongside Greece then, supporting the struggle in every possible way,” the ministry said.

“We honour the memory of those who defended the ideals of democracy. Our duty remains to continue the struggle for freedom,” it added.

The commemorations in Thessaloniki mark the culmination of three days of celebrations honouring the city’s liberation from Ottoman rule on October 26, 1912, the feast of its patron saint, Saint Demetrios, and the anniversary of October 28, 1940.

The military parade along Megalou Alexandrou Avenue is being attended by Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, opposition leader Nikos Androulakis, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, alongside Palmas and other dignitaries.

The programme includes a wreath-laying ceremony at 10.15am, followed by the parade at 11am.

For the first time this year, military contingents will march ahead of civilian groups, with the parade scheduled to conclude with a precision flying display by an F-16 fighter jet from the Greek Air Force’s Zeus demonstration team, piloted by Squadron Leader Christos-Paris Charitos.

A tradition passed down through generations was revived once again in Tillyria, where students marked the anniversary of October 28, 1940, by forming the word “OXI” (Ochi, meaning No) with fire.

In a statement, Kato Pyrgos community leader and chairman of the Tillyria communities cluster, Nikos Kleanthous, highlighted the enduring significance of the historic Greek refusal to surrender to fascist Italy in 1940, describing it as a symbol of resistance that remains relevant today.

He said the custom had been preserved from generation to generation, taking on particular significance in Tillyria, where historical memory and the spirit of resistance form an important part of the region’s collective identity.

Kleanthous congratulated the students for keeping the tradition alive, expressing pride in the younger generation for continuing to honour the anniversary and its message.