NICOSIA – Just ahead of the 50th anniversary of unlawful Turkish invasions that seized the northern third of the island that’s still occupied, 4,073 Cypriots on the side that’s a member of the European Union held hands to set a Guinness World record for longest human chain.

The event was organized by the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation and required chain be unbroken for only one minute, taking the record set by people in Kyoto, Japan in the category of Largest Alternating Human Chain Holding Wrists.

Elly Symons, an Australian with Cypriot roots, was the official witness as required by Guinness guidelines, along with representatives from the record keeping group and 200 supervisors and volunteers who checked the chain.

“A quite challenging record …became a reality,” the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation said in a statement, with John Christodoulou thanking participants and saying, “We once again put Cyprus on the international map of achievements.”

The event also featured model Andri Karantoni and finished with a concert by Greek singer Konstantinos Argiros, who sang the Cypriot version of the song  Eleftheros wearing the Cypriot flag.

Noting the half century anniversary approaching in July of the invasions, Christodoulou said there must be a solution, although all efforts at reunification have failed. “We must find the strength and unity for a solution if we do not want this situation to continue for another 50 years,” he said.