Turkey follows an à la carte approach to UN Security Council resolutions, branding them as obsolete or rejecting their content when they do not fit its discourse, in an attempt to convince that the result of its aggression has a valid legal effect, the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Ambassador Maria Michael, said in a letter to the Security Council, following a letter sent by the Permanent Representative of Turkey on March 11, 2024.
In her letter, the Permanent Representative of Cyprus said that the Permanent Representative of Turkey “engages in a futile attempt to justify their aggression towards Cyprus and to legitimize the establishment of a subordinate secessionist regime, by resorting to historical revisionism and misrepresentation of basic facts.”
Moreover, she noted that «at a time when efforts are under way for the resumption of a political process that would lead to the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of Security Council resolutions, following the recent appointment of th
e Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, Turkey continues to reject the United Nations-endorsed framework for a solution, by demanding the legitimization of its imposed division of the island in pursuit of its vision for a ‘two-state solution’ and openly attempts to derail these efforts.”
“The Republic of Cyprus remains committed to supporting the work of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy and to charting a positive way forward, in order to break the stalemate and resume negotiations, fully utilizing the acquis of the talks,” she underlined, and called on Turkey “to engage in the same spirit to revitalize the peace process and the prospect for a comprehensive solution as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
“This is vital not only for the benefit of all Cypriots, but also for the promotion of peace, security and stability in the wider region, at a time when it so desperately needs it,” Michael added.
She noted that “the fact that Turkey considered it necessa
ry to react to a reference in another member state’s statement, through which the latter simply underlined its adherence to the fundamental principles of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, is in and of itself indicative of Turkey’s own blatant disrespect towards international law.”
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of states under attack must be defended, no matter where the attacks are coming from or how long they last. This principle also applies to the case of Cyprus, which continues to suffer the consequences of Turkey’s illegal military invasion and continued illegal military occupation of 36 per cent of its territory,” she added.
She pointed out that Turkey stands in complete opposition to the international community’s united and consistent support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, as unequivocally expressed in successive Security Council resolutions.
Michael also said that “the approaching fifti
eth anniversary of the deplorable Turkish invasion of 1974 serves as a stark reminder of the indispensable need to overcome the unacceptable status quo by reunifying our island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as set out in relevant resolutions of the Security Council.”
The Permanent Representative of Cyprus asked for the letter to be circulated as a document of the Security Council.
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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency