Cyprus Foreign Ministry has welcomed the adoption of the EU Council Conclusions on Enlargement, which is the outcome of the negotiations between EU member states, noting that an important innovative element of this year’s Conclusions is the call on Ankara to stop any actions that could potentially lead to the upgrading of the secessionist entity in the occupied areas and are therefore contrary to UN Resolutions 541 and 550.
“This reference is included for the first time in EU Council Conclusions and is considered to be of paramount importance in light of Turkey’s efforts to upgrade the status of the secessionist entity,” the Foreign Ministry stressed in a press release.
It added that the references to Varosha are considered particularly important, as illegal actions are again condemned and Ankara is called upon to reverse its illegal actions in the fenced off area of Varosha and to fully respect Security Council Resolutions 550, 789, 1251.
“The Council accurately underlines the state of affairs in relation to Turkey, highlighting the lack of progress in its EU accession process. At the same time, it repeats the responsibilities and obligations arising from its institutional obligations vis a vis the Republic of Cyprus,” the Foreign Ministry noted.
It said that the Conclusions are particularly critical of Turkey, since they confirm the EU’s commitment to finding a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue based on the agreed basis of the Bizonal Bi-communal Federation, in accordance with the relevant Resolutions of the UN Security Council, in line with the European acquis and the principles on which the EU is founded. “The Council even calls on Turkey to contribute in the above direction,” the Foreign Ministry noted.
Furthermore, it said that the Council also expresses EU’s strong disappointment on Turkey’s non-alignment with EU’s restrictive measures against Russia, but also with Ankara’s foreign policy which is distancing from the Union’s political priorities, especially those related with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.
In addition, the latest Decisions of the European Council regarding the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean are underlined, including the one of June 2022, where the European Leaders once again expressed their concern about the continued provocative moves and the hybrid rhetoric of Ankara against member states, the Foreign Ministry added.
At the same time, it noted, Turkey is once again called upon to implement all its obligations vis a vis Cyprus, i.e. recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, normalization of relations, full implementation of the Additional Protocol for the Customs Union.
With regard to immigration, the Council recalls Turkey’s obligations – as recorded by the European Council – to fully implement and without discrimination the 2016 EU-Turkey Declaration on immigration vis-à-vis the Republic of Cyprus, the Ministry said, adding that another important new element of this year’s Conclusions is the reference to Turkey’s obligation to align its visa policy with the EU.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
The Turkish Cypriot leadership announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. A few months earlier, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. The UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action, while the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, reiterated his concern over developments in the fenced-off area, noting that the position of the UN on Varosha remains unchanged. The EU also expressed grave concern.
Source: Cyprus News Agency