An amendment on the recent events in Pyla was jointly submitted to the rapporteur of the European Parliament's (EP) report on Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, by the six Cypriot MEPs, Loukas Fourlas, Eleni Stavrou, Giorgos Georgiou, Niyazi Kizilyurek, Costas Mavrides and Dimitris Papadakis.
At the same time, the two Cypriot MEPs of the Left Group, Giorgos Georgiou and Niyazi Kizilyurek, said during the briefing of the Cypriot press mission in Strasbourg that they will abstain from the vote on the report, which will take place on Wednesday.
Loukas Fourlas, EPP MEP, noted that the EP's report sends a strong message to Ankara and has strict wording. He said that the 6 Cypriot MEPs jointly submitted to the rapporteur of the report on Turkey an amendment regarding the events in Pyla, adding that the amendment, which - as he said - is a common position of all the political groups of the EP, was adopted by Amor.
He also indicated that "it is time to move from messages and verbal condemnations to actions" regarding Turkey's stance. "When we work together, we can deliver the most," added Fourlas. "When we try together for an amendment, it is our duty to vote for the report as a message of support for the joint effort," he concluded.
In general, the report leaves us satisfied, said Eleni Stavrou, MEP of the EPP, adding that the report is quite strict. She also noted that the EPP submitted an amendment to the Budget Committee by which it requests an increase in the budget for the issue of missing persons and the preservation of the cultural heritage of Cyprus. The vote on this matter will be held on Tuesday, she explained.
At the same time, Stavrou expressed her disagreement with the Group's position in the EP report on Turkey, indicating that "it could be different in some areas."
On his part, George Georgiou, MEP of the Left Group, pointed out that the report on Turkey is an indicator of Europe's credibility. In addition, he said the report is "strict, correct and fair" on the situation in Turkey, adding that it suffers because it indulges Turkey in its foreign policy.
He also expressed the view that the EU is coaxing Turkey into agreeing to Sweden's NATO membership and will grant it an upgrade of the customs union and visa liberalisation. For these reasons, as he explained, the Left Group will abstain from voting on the report on Wednesday.
Niyazi Kizilyurek, MEP of the Left Group, underlined that the report on Turkey is a "report of Turkey's regression". Furthermore, he emphasised that throughout the report, Turkey is invited to respect the Turkish Cypriots as a legal Cypriot community and to stop its interventions in the internal affairs of the community. In addition, he said that the Commission and the Republic of Cyprus are called on to assume their responsibilities towards the Turkish Cypriots.
Kizilyurek noted that "we built the solution of the Cyprus problem on Turkey's accession negotiations," adding that the basis for solving the Cyprus problem is being lost. The EU's pursuit of a special relationship with Turkey is a big blow to the people and intellectuals of Turkey, hence the Left Group's abstention from voting on the report, he concluded.
Members of the Security Council condemned on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, the incidents in the buffer zone, in the village of Pyla, in Larnaca district, with assaults against UN peacekeepers, reiterating their full support for UNFICYP.
They also condemned the attacks on UN peacekeepers and the damage to UN vehicles by Turkish Cypriot personnel and wished a speedy and full recovery to the peacekeepers who were injured. They emphasized that "attacks against peacekeepers may constitute crimes under international law and reaffirmed their full commitment to the safety of all UN personnel."
On Friday August 18, 2023 men of the occupation regime punched and kicked a group of international peacekeepers who obstructed crews illegally working on a road that would encroach on a U.N. controlled buffer zone.
The attack happened as peacekeepers stood in the way of work crews building a road to connect the Turkish occupied village of Arsos with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla, inside the buffer zone.
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.
Source: Cyprus News Agency