NICOSIA: The unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) by the illegal entity in the northern, Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus on November 15, 1983, shaped the course of the Cyprus problem and affects to this day the efforts for a solution, House President Annita Demetriou said on Thursday. She added that this action consolidated Turkey’s aspirations towards a continued territorial and political division of Cyprus, with Ankara promoting the two-state solution as the only solution in Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, speaking before the House plenary, Demetriou noted that UDI violates international law and the UN Security Council resolutions, according to which the Republic of Cyprus is recognized as the only legitimate state on the island. The House President said that the Republic of Cyprus does not accept the illegal regime and insists on the resumption of UN-led negotiations for a sustainable solution, based on the UN Security Council resolutions, the principles of international law, and the val
ues of the European Union.
She said furthermore that following the recent developments in the volatile region of the Eastern Mediterranean but also in the United States, Cyprus carefully plans its steps, chooses its diplomatic direction, and works ceaselessly for the reunification of the country and the prosperity of all its citizens. 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. An illegal breakaway entity declared independence unilaterally, on November 15, 1983, in the areas under Turkish occupation, an action condemned by the UN Security Council and the international community as legally null and void.