Speech by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A.Kyprianou, at the Conference on Famagusta
16th October 2020, Municipal Theatre of Latsia
Today’s meeting is part of our efforts to prevent Turkey’s scheming in relation to Varosha. Unfortunately, steps have already began to be taken in this direction. This proves that Turkey carries out what it says as soon as it considers that conditions permit it. This makes it imperative that the Greek Cypriot side be serious and pursue a comprehensive policy to prevent fait accompli.
The action by Turkey and Mr. Tatar to extend the coastal front in the fenced off city of Varosha is both illegal and reprehensible. It violates the relevant UN Resolutions and as such it has rightly been denounced to the international community and in particular to the UN Security Council, the European Union and other international fora. We consider the statement of the UN Security Council to be satisfactory. Unfortunately, this doesn’t solve our problem.
Our goal must be the termination of Turkey’s provocative actions and the reversal of the new fait accompli being attempted against the Republic of Cyprus. Denunciations alone are not enough to solve the problem. They also need to be accompanied by measures to nullify the Turkish action; measures that will pave the way for the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality as described in the Resolutions of the United Nations.
As AKEL, we have repeatedly warned that whenever there is stagnation surrounding the Cyprus problem, Turkey proceeds with new fait accompli. It promotes its partitionist designs to the detriment of Cyprus. Unfortunately, AKEL’s views were never listened to.
The breakdown at Crans Montana in July 2017 led to a series of consecutive negative consequences. It led to Turkey being exonerated and the two leaders being apportioned responsibilities in the Reports submitted by the Secretary General of the United Nations himself.
Worst of all is a protracted deadlock that is continuing to this day. In this negative environment, Turkey increased its aggression and attempted to create new partitionist fait accompli. Prominent in these actions are Turkey’s illegal actions within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus, the threatened colonalisation and other fait accompli carried out in the enclosed area of Varosha.
The 1979 High-Level Agreement, as well as Resolutions 550 and 789 of the UN Security Council provide for the return of the lawful inhabitants of the city of Varosha under the provisional administration of the United Nations until the overall solution of the Cyprus problem. More than forty years later, the resolutions remain unimplemented despite the repeated efforts by the United Nations and the Greek Cypriot side. Over time, these efforts have always come up against the Turkish side’s intransigence. Even in the rare cases when the issue was raised for discussion, the legalization of the airport of Tympou was set as a precondition, something which the Greek Cypriot side could not have accepted as airports must be registered to states to receive direct flights.
All these years AKEL sought to keep the hope for the implementation of the resolutions on Famagusta alive.
I will not list here our numerous timeless initiatives, but I will indicatively point to the comprehensive three-point proposal submitted by our late comrade and former President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias.
The substance of this proposal was the opening of the fenced off city under the administration of the United Nations for the return of the city’s lawful inhabitants, given that it would be preceded by its reconstruction, including within the city walls, and the re-functioning of the port to the benefit of both communities under the supervision of the EU. Unfortunately, this again came up against the Turkish side’s insistence on the opening of the airport of Tymbou.
The current developments and Turkey’s threats to open the fenced off city in a way that violates United Nations resolutions leave no room for any complacency.
From the very first moment that Ankara’s unacceptable intentions and scheming became clear with the support of partitionist politicians in the occupied territories, AKEL undertook a series of initiatives. We expressed our reaction towards the progressive Turkish Cypriot parties who share our concern. We briefed the United Nations on what was happening and explained our concerns about where the Turkish scheming could lead to. We addressed EU officials and informed and mobilized political parties abroad.
At the same time, we have taken initiatives within the European Parliament. The most recent attempt was to discuss the Turkish scheming for Famagusta in the plenary of the body and for a relevant resolution to be adopted denouncing this attempt. Furthermore, we support the Municipality of Famagusta in the initiatives it is undertaking to raise the issue and expose the unacceptable scheming of Turkey and a section of Turkish Cypriot politicians.
We shall continue this struggle until the very end. We are fully aware that if Turkey implements the plans it announces, this will have dramatic and negative effects on the efforts for a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem.
The most effective way to prevent the Turkish plans in Famagusta is to the resumption of the negotiation procedure for an overall solution of the Cyprus problem.
The UN Secretary-General is calling for the continuation of the negotiations from where they had remained with the convergences recorded and the Six-Point Framework. This means that with the resumption of the negotiation procedure, the Turkish Cypriot side will have to bring back the map it had submitted in Geneva and subsequently withdrew, after the withdrawal of Anastasiades’ proposals. This map includes the return of the fenced off city of Varosha and beyond. The Turkish Cypriot side would be irreparably exposed on the one hand to include Varosha in the said map and on the other hand to proceed with the creation of fait accompli in the same area.
We therefore call on the President of the Republic to comprehensively evaluate the situation he has before him and when he says that he wants to continue the negotiations from where they had remained, to act accordingly.
What we say is never enough, what affects developments is what action we take. However unfortunately, Mr. Anastasiades, on the one hand, is declaring that he wants the negotiations to continue from where they had remained, whilst, on the other hand, in practice, he is questioning convergences and the very Framework itself of the UN Secretary General.
The process of electing the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community will be completed in a few days. Regardless of the outcome, the UN Secretary General has announced his intention to lead a new effort for the resumption of substantive negotiations. Our wish and hope is that a politician who is in favor of the agreed solution be elected to the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community.
If that were to happen then the hope would be kept alive. It goes without saying that Turkey must give way to dialogue by ending its provocative actions. The concern of our political leadership must be to seize the opportunity constructively, because this is the most effective way to prevent the final partition of our homeland and SAFEGUARD the salvation of Famagusta.
We insist and will continue to insist that the Turkish Cypriot community, as well as the Greek Cypriot community, will neutralize once and for all what threatens their survival only when they manage to coexist within the framework of a federation. For AKEL, a federal solution means creative cooperation between equal partners and compatriots. Within the framework a reunited state with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality, where it will be safeguarded that the two communities will coexist and cooperate in a united and independent homeland.
Let certain forces and circles not rush to say yet again that we want to annul what defines everyone. The historical relations of the two communities with Greece and Turkey are indisputable. But for us it is equally indisputable that the Cypriots can manage without guardians; that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can build their common life, in their common homeland.
We envision one Cyprus, the common homeland of Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins, as a result of a solution based on the agreed framework.
A solution of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation that will free us from the occupation and interventions in our internal affairs. A solution that will isolate any fascist and chauvinist elements, not enabling them to undermine it. The evolution of the Republic of Cyprus must lead to a united state on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation. A state with a single and indivisible sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality. With political equality. A solution without guarantees and intervention rights. With human rights and fundamental freedoms for all guaranteed.
“One by one the waves of History came and left, they came and left, but we remained, we the common people masters of the land, we who will stay – even though they’ll come, let the waves of history go away, let them charge and seethe, let the waves of history fade one by one ..”, wrote the poet Theodosis Pierides in “Dreaming on the walls of Famagusta”.
We therefore must be the ones to have the final say. We, all of us who carried on our lives on the ruins of 1974, we who insist on joining hands over the barbed wire of division. We, when the waves one by one will recede, must and will write history from the very beginning in big letters: Cyprus, one homeland, one people.