We are here in the European Parliament to take part in an event that has been planned for some time on the Cyprus problem, the current state of play on our island, on Turkey’s provocative actions and aggression with the escalation that exists recently both in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus, but also through the fait accompli that are being attempted to be implemented in the fenced-off city of Famagusta.
At the same time, we will take advantage of this visit here to have contacts about both direct trade, but also other issues that concern us. The issues we shall be discussing will depend on who we will be meeting with.
Today we had a meeting with the two Co-Chairs of the Group of the Left. We shall have a meeting with Kati Pirri from the Socialist Group, who was the Rapporteur for Turkey’s Progress Report in previous years and is a person who plays an important role with regards the efforts to bring back the issue of direct trade. We will also see the head of the Left Bloc of Portugal.
Tomorrow our program will be a lot more intensive. We will have a series of meetings with representatives of Political Groups in the European Parliament, as well as with two European Commissioners on the Cyprus problem. We will also have our event on the Cyprus problem in the afternoon, after which I will depart for Ireland to participate in an event organized by Sinn Fein party on issues that concern Ireland and the Brexit question.
Our goal is for the issue of direct trade to remain frozen as it has been all these years and, of course, as far as the Cyprus problem is concerned, what we are going to do is to try to convey the message that it is imperative that the effort for a resumption of the negotiations is supported with the simultaneous termination of Turkey’s provocative actions in the Cypriot EEZ and in the city of Famagusta.
Statements by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL within the framework of his visit to Brussels
Direct trade and resumption of talks high on the agenda
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 8th October 2019, Nicosia
