A federal settlement to the Cyprus problem, agreed by President Makarios, remains the only realistic option that would terminate the Turkish occupation and reunite Cyprus, President Christofias said on Friday, underlying that “we believe in that historic compromise agreed by Makarios and defend his legacies.”
Addressing a ceremony on the anniversary of Makarios death at his birthplace Panagia, President Christofias praised Makarios` historic compromise for a bi-communal bi-zonal federation as the solution of the Cyprus problem.
Makarios was the first President of the Republic of Cyprus, which gained independence in 1960 following a liberation struggle against British colonial rule. Turkey with the pretext of a coup instigated by the Greek Junta on July 15 1974 against Makarios, invaded Cyprus five days later and has been occupying 37 per cent of the island’s territory ever since. On February 12 1977 Makarios singed with the then Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas the first high level agreement, which provided for “an independent, non-aligned, bi-communal Federal Republic”, what later became known as a bi-communal bi-zonal federation.
“Makarios correctly realized the danger of a permanent partition of the island and understood a federal solution could lead to the restoration of the unity of the people, the territory, the economy and the institutions, as well as to the termination of the occupation,” President Christofias said.
He noted that Makarios accepted the idea of a federal solution “not because of submission or the lack or pragmatism but because he understood that it constituted the only way for the liberation and reunification of our country and our people,” adding that all Presidents of Cyprus after Makarios, pursued a solution of bi-communal bi-zonal federation.
“In the wake of the fait accompli created by the Turkish invasion and occupation, the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus from a unitary to a federal state was and remains the only realistic option for the termination of the occupation and the division and for the reunification of the territory and of the people. We believe in the historic compromise which Makarios agreed on and we defend Makarios` legacies.”
Furthermore, the President referred to the current UN-backed negotiations with Dervis Eroglu, the Turkish Cypriot leader, noting that Eroglu and Turkey have lead the current process to a dead-end, adding that all proposals submitted by Eroglu in the negotiations lead to a two-state solution.
Noting that Eroglu and Turkey deny the resumption of the talks on the pretext of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, which began on July 1, while drafting a plan B, aiming at upgrading the occupation regime established in the northern occupied areas of Cyprus.
“This attitude can not be tolerated neither by the international community nor by the UN or the EU. We expect a clear condemnation of this unacceptable behaviour,” he said.
Christofias also denounced Turkish threats against the hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone, noting that Cyprus will go ahead with the same determination to the second licensing round despite Turkish threats against companies which participated in the tender for Cyprus` offshore blocks.
“This is an absolute sovereign right and we have the international community by our side on this issue,” he concluded.
Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. Following a decision by Nicosia to begin natural gas and oil exploration in its exclusive economic zone, Ankara has deployed warships in the Eastern Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.
Houston-based Noble Energy which has a concession on Cypriot block 12, completed its first exploratory drilling which revealed a natural gas reservoir ranging from 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) with a gross mean of 7 tcf.
A second licensing round for companies interested to receive concessions for exploratory drillings in Cyprus EEZ was concluded last May, resulting to bids by fifteen companies and joint ventures. Bids are being currently evaluated by the government.
