President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades strongly criticised Turkey for trying to turn Cyprus into a submissive state as it has done with the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus, and blamed the European Union and the United Nations for sharing responsibility for the situation.
In a speech at the Morphou municipality anti-occupation march in Astromeritis, the President added that it must be made clear that as long as the international community tolerates or accepts the Turkish behaviour, it is like rewarding the perpetrator who wants to pose as the victim.
Expressing regret over the current situation on the Cyprus problem, Anastasiades, whose term in office ends in February 2023, said there has not been any leader or political party that has not strived for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Referring to Turkey’s refusal to become involved in a constructive dialogue, the President reminded Turkey’s demand for a continuation of the anachronistic guarantees and permanent presence of the Turkish army with the right to intervene as well the Turkish Cypriot side’s demands making the operation of a central government dysfunctional.
President Anastasiades said the Greek Cypriot side always acted in good faith and tried to give Turkish Cypriots the message that it does not neglect or disregard their concerns, however unjustified these may have been.
He also said that the non-implementation of all that was agreed in Berlin aimed to waste the time and allow for the Turkish side’s favourite man to undertake the leadership of the Turkish Cypriots, ostracising Mustafa Akinci with the new leader demanding since April 2021 a two-state solution and is against any Security Council resolution on Cyprus or the principles of international order or the EU.
President Anastasiades said we need to acknowledge the realities if we want to effectively handle the Turkish greed. “It must become clear to the international community and the EU, and I say it bluntly, that those who turn a blind eye, are accepting or tolerating the Turkish behaviour are basically rewarding the perpetrator who wants to turn into a victim. There is no other way to explain Mr. (Tayip) Erdogan’s behaviour. It is Europe’s tolerance which allows him to overstep”, the president added. Otherwise, he would not have the audacity he had during the EU leaders’ meeting in Prague,” President Anastasiades said.
He questioned which international law allows Turkey to threaten the territorial sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic, to violate the 550 and 789 resolutions of the Security Council on Famagusta and which country allows the minority community to take decisions over the majority?
President Anastasiades said Turkey’s insistence on guarantees, on the right to intervene, for a permanent Turkish base on the island and how the executive decisions will be taken, were the reasons behind the failure at Crans Montana.
The President remarked there is no Greek Cypriot leader who did not consciously make efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. There is also no political force that has not made efforts to find a solution. Those responsible are the ones, who, through their intransigent positions, tried to turn Cyprus into a subservient state, just as they turned occupied Cyprus”, he said, adding, “at the same time the responsibility lies with both the UN and the EU”.
We continue the fight he added, to persuade those who take decisions, especially after the war in Ukraine, to understand that double standards do not promote international law, instead they promote international injustice.
They help revisionist policies, whether they are in Russia, Turkey or elsewhere, to create problems for international legal order, the President added. He warned that if they remain inactive, there is a danger we will witness a new war between EU member states, NATO allies, and then we will realise that tolerance resulted with destruction.
Concluding, President Anastasiades said that in the time left before concluding his presidency and in the future as an ordinary citizen, he will continue to fight for the return of all refugees to their homes and to make it clear that without joint action it is impossible to fight Turkish intransigence.
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.
Source: Cyprus News Agency