Day: November 15, 2022

The UNSG’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, met on Tuesday with Director of European External Action Service, Angelina Eichhorst.

The UN in Cyprus said in a post on Twitter that Stewart welcomed Eichhorst to share perspectives on the current situation, key activities of the UN Cyprus Talks office, and the UN trust building efforts on the island.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Police said on Tuesday they were satisfied with the terrorist attack drill “Zenon 2022” carried out at Metropolis Mall in the coastal city of Larnaka.

Larnaka Police Press spokesperson Harris Hadjiyiasemi told the media that the drill’s scenario entailed a terrorist attack by two armed individuals who fired shots at the shopping center, resulting in the activation of all the involved services concerned with the safety of both citizens and staff.

As a result of the attack, according to the scenario, one person was killed and one was injured.

Hadjiyiasemi told the press that the aim was for the staff of the shopping center to get to know what to do and how to react in such an event . At the same time, the effectiveness of the services involved was also assessed.

“We think we have done pretty well, but we think there’s always room for improvement”, he said.

Filios Nikolaou, manager of the Metropolis Mall facilities said that the drill was carried out in the framework of security and health procedures of the shopping center for events such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks etc.

He said that they also wanted to get the feedback of all services engaged.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Youth Councils of the Turkish-occupied Municipalities of Kyrenia, Lapithos and Karavas along with municipal authorities organised on Monday evening, in Nicosia, an anti-occupation rally condemning the illegal unilateral declaration of the pseudo-state in 1983 and expressed their request for return to their homeland. Representatives of political parties, organised groups and representatives of occupied municipalities and communities participated in the march.

Rita Elissaiou-Komodiki, Mayor of Kyrenia, said that “we want to bring together our young people, to whom we should pass on the sentiments we have felt for our homeland so that they can continue our work.”

Nicos Hadjistefanou, Mayor of Karavas, stated that “we condemn the declaration of the pseudo-state and demand the return to our homes and land, because that land is ours and we want to return under conditions of freedom, permanence and dignity. We will continue to fight until we achieve this goal.”

Neoptolemos Kotsapas, Mayor of Lapithos, spoke of “a dark anniversary for Cypriots.” “Where are the human rights, where are the principles and values? Are they only on paper?”, he asked, adding that hundreds of petitions have been made, questioning their effectiveness in the UN or the EU.

Rita Theodorou-Superman, a DISY MP for Kyrenia District, called on people to start taking part in such events because “Kyrenia is ours and only ours.” From his part, Christos Christofias, MP of AKEL for Kyrenia, stated that it is important “to remind everyone that we do not forget and to demand that the international community stands by the side of the Cypriot people in their quest for liberation and reunification.”

The Bishop of Tamasos and Orini, Isaias, noted that the Church must be present, stand by the just struggle for the restoration of the freedom of our homeland and must do this in practical ways. Sophocles Phyttis, on behalf of the Association of Former Members of Parliament, said that “the people of Kyrenia never forget their city and villages”, hence the organisation of this march.

People marched through main Nicosia streets and ended up at Ledras Street checkpoint, where a petition was handed over to a representative of the UN peacekeeping force. While marching, people chanted slogans in favour of terminating the occupation in the northern part of the island and of returning to Kyrenia.

The petition, which was addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said it called for “full respect for the UN Charter with actions, ideas and political acts that will restore the violations of the provisions of the Charter violated in 1974 by Turkey.”

Furthermore, the protestors demanded through the petition that the UN “act and exercise the role assigned to it in accordance with the Charter” and “restore its credibility as a true guardian of International Law.”

This was followed by an anti-occupation event in Eleftherias Square. organised by Cypriot artists.

An illegal breakaway state declared independence unilaterally, on November 15, 1983, in the areas under Turkish occupation, an action condemned by the UN Security Council and the international community as legally null and void.

The illegal declaration followed the partition of the island after the Turkish military invaded Cyprus in 1974, occupying one third of its territory ever since.

Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

No state accepts and recognises the pseudostate, the Greek Foreign Ministry stresses in a statement on the 39th anniversary of the declaration of the illegal entity in Cyprus.

“Thirty-nine years after the illegal and condemned declaration of the pseudostate, no state accepts and recognises any legal or international status of this entity,” the Greek Foreign Ministry notes.

The statement underlines that “the unilateral declaration of the pseudostate in the occupied territories of Cyprus has been definitively condemned by UN Security Council Resolutions 541/1983 and 550/1984.”

“Turkey’s unacceptable claim for a ‘two-state’ solution undermines any effort to resume negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem within the framework of UNSC Resolutions,” the Greek Foreign Ministry says.

Additionally, it refers to the recent Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, where “Turkey was forced to accept the downgrading of the pseudostate’s participation in this organization under the status of an ‘entity'”.

Finally, Greece reiterates that reaching “an agreed solution on the basis of UN Security Council Resolutions and European acquis” remains its constant objective.

The unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) in Cyprus’ Turkish occupied northern area, took place on 15 November 1983.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island`s northern third. Numerous rounds of talks under UN aegis to reunite the island under a federal roof failed to yield results.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Students marched on Tuesday in Nicosia and other government-controlled areas of Cyprus, in protest of the unilateral declaration of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. On 15 November 1983, Turkey instigated and endorsed a “unilateral declaration of independence” in the occupied area by the Turkish Cypriot leadership.

The protests that took place under the umbrella of the Pancyprian Coordinating Students Committee (PSEM) and the Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions (POFEN), condemned the illegal regime, which has been described by the UN as “legally invalid” and only recognised by Turkey. The students reassured their will to continue the struggle for the reunification of Cyprus, in spite of Turkey’s divisive policy.

In Nicosia, a delegation of students handed over a resolution to members of the UN peace keeping force on the island (UNFICYP) which calls for a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation and political equality as described by UN resolutions, with a single citizenship, a single indivisible sovereignty and a single international personality.

The resolution notes that the status quo of the Turkish occupation and the fact that the Cyprus problem remains unresolved, “entails huge risks for our youth and all Cypriots, who continue to live in conditions of uncertainty for the future.”

Among other things, it conveys the assurance that the struggle to reach a viable solution which will reunify Cyprus and “will create an environment of peace and security”, will continue.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Being a victim of the Turkish invasion and occupation for 48 years, Cyprus stands by the Ukrainian people, and does not accept any derogation from the international law, Cypriot MP, Elias Myrianthous, said speaking during the 68th Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC), that took place in Prague.

The House of Representatives was represented by MPs Haris Georgiades (head), Marina Nicolaou, Christiana Erotokritou, Alekos Tryfonides, Christos Christou and Elias Myrianthous.

According to a House press release, in his intervention Myrianthous said that there are similarities between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, however the international community has not shown a similar treatment.

On his part, MP Christos Christou noted that Turkey flagrantly violates the international law in Cyprus. Moreover, he noted that Turkey follows dictatorial practices and distorts history, circulating false news.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Foreign Affairs Minister of Cyprus Ioannis Kasoulides and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly signed on Tuesday afternoon a Memorandum of Strategic Partnership to enhance the already close bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Memorandum was signed during a special ceremony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Westminster.

It refers to increased foreign policy, security, economic and educational ties between the UK and Cyprus. It will also support joint cooperation on urgent global challenges such as climate change and Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Speaking after the signing ceremony and referring to the meeting he had earlier with his host, Kasoulides said he was “very pleased today to have this meeting with Secretary Cleverly.”

“We had the opportunity to discuss a whole spectrum of relations between Cyprus and the UK, a spectrum that covers the efforts to reunite our country and the support we expect from the UK,” he noted.

The other aspect, Kasoulides added, “is our strategic position in the Eastern Mediterranean, where we apply a regional policy that is very important. There is room for cooperation there with the UK since there British bases are present there.”

On his part, Cleverly said “it is a real pleasure to have the opportunity to sign this Memorandum of Understanding.”

“The UK and Cyprus have a close and long-standing bilateral relationship and today we were able to discuss the strength of our ties on government to government level but also on people to people level,” he added.

He noted that “I am very grateful that this signing of the MoU also gave me the opportunity to have this conversation with you and to recommit to the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries and our two peoples.”

Among other things, the agreement will boost research collaboration between the two countries’ universities and will increase opportunities for trade in professional services, shipping and green growth.

To ensure implementation of the agreement, the UK and the Republic of Cyprus will hold regular consultations to assess progress, exchange information and propose new areas for joint cooperation.

Afterwards Foreign Minister Kasoulides attended a lunch hosted by Lord Ahmad, UK Minister of State for the United Nations.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The same circles, which sought to terminate the supervision by the Council of Europe of the case of Titina Loizidou – a Greek Cypriot applicant who won a case against Turkey in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding her property in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus – are also seeking to close the surveillance on the issue of the missing and enclaved, but we are doing everything possible in the diplomatic field, Ambassador Spyros Attas, who previously served in the Permanent Representation of the Republic in Strasbourg, has said.

Attas informed on Tuesday on behalf of the Foreign Ministry the members of the House of Representatives’ Refugee Committee about the issue of the compensation awarded by the ECHR in the Fourth Interstate Appeal of Cyprus against Turkey concerning missing and enclaved persons as a consequence of the 1974 Turkish invasion.

He said that all the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raise the issue with their interlocutors and make representations and intensive contacts, recalling that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, where the issue is examined once a year (it was examined last March), is highlighting Turkey’s responsibilities on the matter.

Ambassador Attas clarified that Turkey was not found guilty of the disappearance of people, but was found guilty of the right to life, that is, of not effectively investigating the fate of these people, and must pay compensations to the families of the missing and enclaved amounting to a total of 103 million euros (90 million plus interest).

He explained that in order to take action against Turkey, a 2/3 majority of the member states is required and this is difficult.

“We will continue our struggle with the ultimate goal of keeping alive the surveillance by the Council of Europe of the implementation of the decision of the Fourth Interstate because there is a danger lurking here too,” he told MPs.

He said that in this matter as well there are efforts on behalf of some known circles “to close the Cypriot cases because they are a burden and they bother.”

What is important, he continued, apart from the payment of compensation, is for Turkey to fulfill its obligations and to cooperate in ascertaining the fate of the missing persons and the circumstances under which they went missing.

Attas noted that Cyprus is making efforts in the diplomatic and legal field and has the support of everyone in the CoE, but this support, he added, must at some stage be turned into decisions that force Turkey to fulfill its obligations.

Loizidou, a Greek Cypriot applicant sought to enforce a 1996 ECHR judgment concerning the restitution and peaceful enjoyment of her property in Turkish-occupied Kyrenia, in the northern coast of Cyprus. Turkey attempted several times in the past to close the supervision of the case in Strasbourg, where the Committee of Ministers holds its sessions. Last September the Committee of Ministers decided to end its supervision on the case.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The European Court of Human Rights sentenced Turkey in numerous cases, brought forward by Greek Cypriots, concerning the violation of their fundamental human rights, following the 1974 invasion.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled, on 10 May 2001, that Turkey’s authorities had never investigated claims by relatives that missing persons had disappeared after being detained, in circumstances where there was real cause to fear for their welfare.

Due to Turkey’s lack of compliance with the Court’s judgment, on 7 June 2005 the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, at the 928th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies, adopted the first ever in an Interstate case, Interim Resolution concerning the judgment of the ECHR of 10 May 2001 in the Fourth Interstate Appeal of Cyprus against Turkey. The Interim Resolution demanded, amongst other things, effective measures to be taken by Turkey to deal at last with the tragically unsolved humanitarian problem of missing persons, 30 years after the Turkish invasion.

Source: Cyprus News Agency