House President Annita Demetriou sent Thursday a new letter to the international community asking for immediate condemnation of Turkey’s new provocative acts in the fenced off part of Famagusta, Varosha, and to exert pressure on Ankara to stop violating international law.
The letter was addressed to her counterparts from EU member states, the heads of parliaments of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and chairs of international and regional parliamentary organizations.
In her letter, the House President says that the illegal actions by Turkey with the aim to change the status quo of the fenced of town of Varosha violate UNSC resolutions 550 and 789.
Demetriou also condemns the two-state solution that Turkey and the regime in Turkish-occupied Cyprus promote, saying that this solution was clearly denounced by the international community.
She also underlines that all these actions jeopardize and undermine the efforts to resume the peace dialogue for a solution providing for a bizonal, bicommunal federation and reminds the international community that the return of Famagusta to its lawful residents is included in the package of confidence building measures the Greek Cypriot side has put on the table with the aim to resume the talks.
She said that acceptance of the CBMs by the Turkish side could be a sign that it has the will to cooperate for a solution.
In her letter the House President asks her counterparts to condemn these new provocations and violations of the international law and human rights as they have rightly did in case of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and to exert pressure on Turkey to finally terminate its actions.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 since 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”, and the UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) urged that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus, should be extended to include Varosha.
Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha and on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.
Source: Cyprus News Agency