The international community that condemns Turkey’s actions in Cyprus must intervene to prevent any new faits accomplis that Turkey wishes to impose, said Petros Demetriou on Sunday, Director of the Office of the President of the Republic.
He was addressing the first official screening of the documentary “Memories of Occupied Land, a Journey to Mesaoria and Karpasia,” organised by the Association of Displaced Communities of Famagusta.
Demetriou said the documentary, projecting, through a journey to the occupied villages of Mesaoria and Karpasia, their rich historical, cultural and social heritage and traditions, as well as their natural beauty, “evokes nostalgic memories and recollections.”
He said President Nicos Anastasiades has been declaring his political will and determination to go back to the negotiations table and work towards a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the UN Resolutions and EU principles, but that the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides continue to be intransigent, “by making excessive demands and taking a series of provocative actions, which are anything but promoting the creation of the necessary climate for the start of the negotiations. ”
He referred to the latest “provocative and illegal actions” by the Turkish side in the fenced area of Famagusta, adding that the government is taking the necessary steps with the European Union, the UN and the international community in general, as these actions once again run counter to the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He said that the international community that condemns Turkey’s actions should, at last, intervene in order to prevent what Turkey wants to impose.
“That is why we highlight the need for the adoption of bold Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs),” he said, which, among other things, provide for the return of the fenced area of Famagusta to its legal residents.
He said these CBMs were welcomed by the international community, but were downright rejected by Turkey and the leadership of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime, that insist instead, “on the unacceptable position for a two-state solution.”
Therefore, he added, “it is clear that in order to make any progress, it is necessary for the Turkish side to refrain from any unilateral actions, tensions or threats.”
After stating that “the reunification of Cyprus was and remains a top priority” he assured and conveyed on behalf of the President of the Republic “the full support of the State in the work” of the displaced communities.
President of the Association of Displaced Communities of Famagusta, Michalis Tziortas, said that the documentary will, in cooperation with the Education Ministry, be subtitled in English, French, Russian and German. He said it can be used in exhibitions abroad, by the Education Ministry for educational purposes, while it can be a source of historical research by historians, archaeologists and universities in Cyprus and abroad.
Mayor of occupied Famagusta, Simos Ioannou, said, among other things, this was a “commendable” initiative that must be used in their global campaign against the occupation of Famagusta and a large part of Cyprus.
On behalf of the creators of the documentary, Charalambos Charalambous referred to the two years, the years of the coronavirus pandemic, that took for the writing of the texts, the research for collecting information material for each of the occupied villages, the search for a photo and other relevant accompanying material for the texts but also in the creation of the documentary.
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.
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.
Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha. 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