Cyprus – Turkey Statements

President of the Republic Demetris Christofias has stressed that recent statements made by Turkish Prime Minister on the Cyprus issue destroy any prospects to achieve an agreed solution in Cyprus.

During an illegal visit to Cyprus in July, Erdogan had questioned the existence of the Republic of Cyprus, warned the EU that its accession negotiations with Ankara would freeze if Cyprus assumes the Union’s rotating presidency in July 2012 without a political settlement and ruled out the return of the Turkish occupied areas of Morphou and Karpass to the Greek Cypriots in an overall solution.

“If this is the official Turkish policy on the Cyprus issue, it unfortunately wrecks of any prospect for an agreed, viable and functional solution of the Cyprus problem”, President Christofias stressed, in a speech at the anti-occupation event organised by the Famagusta Municipality.

He noted that Erdogan’s statements abolish the agreed basis of the Cyprus talks.

“His behavior is characterized by cynicism and arrogance, which have nothing to do with a behavior of a modern leader or a modern state”, he underlined.

“Erdogan has even questioned the return of Varosha under Greek Cypriot leadership”, President Christofias added, referring to the UNSC 550 of 1984, which provides for the return of the fenced off area of Varosha, in Famagusta, now under Turkish occupation, to the UN.

“We send a message to the leader of Turkey and to all those in the international community, who cover his unacceptable behaviour that the international law and order, the United Nations and the Security Council, of which Turkey was a non permanent member state, were created and function so that no state acts aggressively”, he said.

He also noted that the Turkish foreign policy, “apart from threats, it links the return of Famagusta, Morphou and Karpasia, under Greek Cypriot administration, with Turkey’s EU process, threatening to freeze the EU Turkey relations when Cyprus undertakes the EU presidency in the second half of 2012”.

“It should be understood by all that the Republic of Cyprus is a full EU member state and should be respected and treated as such”, he stressed.

He recalled that the government of Cyprus has made representations regarding Erdogan’s statements, but pointed out that “we have the view that the EU demonstrates more tolerance than needed as regards Turkey”.

“If international relations were based only on law and justice, the EU should have demanded the immediate implementation of the Ankara Protocol by Turkey” he went on to say.

We expect, he said, a reaction on behalf of the EU regarding Turkey’s defiance of its EU obligations, as well as the ones concerning the Republic of Cyprus.

The Cypriot President noted that the solution of the Cyprus problem before Cyprus assumes the EU rotating Presidency in the second half of 2012 is an issue, which fully depends on Ankara itself.

“If the Turkish Cypriot side continues, with Ankara’s support, to submit to the negotiating table unacceptable positions, which have no relation to the agreed principles of one sovereignty, one international personality and one citizenship, Turkey can not continue trying to shift the burden for non-solution on the shoulders of the victim”, he said.

President Christofias said that in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus “thousands of so called citizenships are given to illegal Turkish settlers, Greek Cypriot properties are being illegally exploited and areas like Karpasia are being destructed by unacceptable, illegal development”.

At the same time, he said, “thousands of our compatriots, Turkish Cypriots, are demonstrating against the demographic change in the Turkish occupied areas which threatens their own existence”.

Concluding, he refereed to his working visit in Paris last week, where he held a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, saying that Sarkozy supports Cyprus’ struggle for justice and denounces Erdogan’s statements.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Peace talks are currently underway between President Christofias and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community to find a negotiated settlement that will reunite the country under a federal roof.