The Municipal Council of Famagusta says that despite the fact that over time, at a diplomatic level, various actions were taken on our part, the outcome shows that the strategy followed was not appropriate, nor was it able to prevent the plans by the Turkish occupying forces in the fenced off city of Varosha.
The Council approved a resolution which was circulated on Saturday evening during an anti-occupation rally at the Cultural Center in Deryneia, on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the illegal Turkish invasion of the island and the ?ccupation of Famagusta. The event took place in the presence of President Nikos Christodoulides who delivered an address.
The resolution calls on the new government to take such initiatives in order to bring Turkey back to the negotiating table and to expose if for the impasse.
The resolution was decided at an extraordinary meeting of the Plenary of the Council held on August 2.
The Municipal Council reaffirms its sound position in favor of finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem, on the basis of a Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation, with political equality of the two communities, as determined by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and which provides for a state with one sovereignty, an international personality and a citizenship.
The Council condemns the illegal and provocative actions of Turkey in the fenced off city of Varosha which lead to new conditions that work against the prospect of a return to the city, in the context of a comprehensive solution.
The Council also points out that the Cyprus issue is still at the most critical turning point in its history and underlines that it looks forward to the resumption of the peace talks.
Famagusta Municipal Council also appeals to the international community, the EU, the UN and especially the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council to intensify their efforts, exerting their influence on Ankara to change its intransigent policy and comply with the international law.
The Council also praises the actions of the a large number of Turkish Cypriots who disagree with the actions and plans of Turkey and describes these Turkish Cypriots as a bright example which revives the hope and perspective for a better, peaceful and safe future.
The Municipal Council invites all the political forces to contribute in every way and with a consensus and unity to walk along a common path which will finally lead to the prevention of the final division of our homeland.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. 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.
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