A European Commission letter, sent to the President of the Famagusta Association UK on behalf of Jean Claude Juncker, reiterates the 2014 Progress Report’s call on Turkey “to avoid any kind of threat, source of friction or provocative action that could damage good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
The letter, dated 1 December 2014, comes as response to a previous letter by Dr Vassilis Mavrou urging the new Commission President to intervene over the violation of the Cypriot EEZ and the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey.
Juncker’s spokeswoman adds that in its recent Progress Report “the Commission stressed the sovereign rights of EU Member States which include, inter alia, rights to explore and exploit their natural resources in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and also stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of Member States over their territorial sea.”
The letter addressed to Dr Mavrou also notes that at various instances the European Union has called on Turkey to continue to actively support the ongoing negotiations aimed at a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles on which the Union is founded. “Turkey`s commitment and contribution in concrete terms to such a
comprehensive settlement is crucial,” states the European Commission response.
The Commission also stresses that it expects all relevant stakeholders to “de-escalate tension, contribute to a positive climate conducive to a fair, comprehensive and viable Cyprus settlement, and support the UN Secretary-General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus to help the communities
leaders back to the negotiations table and make real progress for the benefit of all.”
The final paragraph states that it is in the common EU interest to see the reunification of Cyprus and to bring to an end one of the oldest conflicts on European soil. “The Commission remains convinced that the gains for all Cypriots from reunification will by far outweigh the costs of compromises that inevitably will need to be made by both sides,” reads the letter on behalf of Mr Juncker, adding that the Famagusta Association UK can play an “important” role in this.
