Democratic Alignment (DIPA) President Marios Garoyan condemned what he termed the “genocide of Palestinians” in Gaza whilst defending Cyprus’s Western orientation during a television interview on Sigma TV on Wednesday.
Garoyan, whose party supports President Nikos Christodoulides’ government, criticised major powers’ stance on the Palestinian conflict. “With the same force that we condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the same voice we must shout: stop this genocide. We cannot invoke international law as it suits us,” he stated.
He rejected claims that discussing the Gaza genocide damages Cyprus’s national interests. “I categorically reject when we talk about genocide in Gaza that some third parties claim we are harming national interests, because we say the obvious and do not close our eyes to the degradation, to the unprecedented phenomena occurring in Gaza, especially regarding the civilian population, women and children,” he said.
Garoyan emphasised Cyprus’s continued Western alignment despite his criticism. “Cyprus has a clear orientation – and that is towards the West. It does not change, it does not alter,” he stated, adding that political consistency does not preclude criticism where necessary.
The Democratic Alignment leader noted his previous role as the first parliamentary speaker to visit Israel in 35 years. “I am not against Israel… Things are not one-dimensional. Politics needs realism and clear positions, not hypocrisy or ambiguities,” he said.
He cited Turkey as an example of geopolitical balance, noting the NATO member maintains relations with Russia whilst experiencing strained ties with Israel.
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