President Nikos Christodoulides proposed placing Varosha under the administration of the United Nations during the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
During his speech, President Christodoulides emphasized that “it is time for peace” and requested the support of the Parliamentary Assembly for both ensuring a favourable environment and the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus for a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue.
He stated that crises in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh “clearly demonstrate that prolonged political impasses should not be treated with complacency” and that there are no “frozen conflicts,” he emphasized in front of the Assembly.
Stressing that “the absence of diplomacy and dialogue can create cycles of perpetual violence with devastating consequences,” the President referred to the completion of fifty years of occupation and division, displaced persons, relatives of missing persons, and enclaved individuals.
These issues “fall within your mandate to be informed but also within your responsibility to act through resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly and decisions of the Court,” he continued, expressing the support of the Republic of Cyprus for these actions.
President Christodoulides particularly sought the support and tangible contribution of the members of the Parliamentary Assembly, as “the Council of Europe in general and the Parliamentary Assembly, in particular, have the political legitimacy to actively contribute to our efforts for both ensuring a favourable environment and our efforts for a comprehensive solution.”
As an example of this role, he mentioned the report prepared by Pierre Fassino, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly, on the situation in Varosha.
He underlined the importance of staying vigilant, stating that any action other than transferring Varosha to the administration of the United Nations constitutes a violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.
In this context, he continued, the forthcoming report “offers a unique opportunity to convey the urgency of the issue and the need to respect the international legality and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and to seek the restoration of the property rights of the displaced Famagustians, as recognized by the European Court of Human Rights in the Cyprus v. Turkey case.”
He also emphasized his commitment to achieving a solution “for a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality” and welcomed the recent appointment of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar.
He reiterated his expectation for the resumption of negotiations from where they were interrupted in Crans Montana in 2017.
The UN envoy is expected to be in Cyprus on January 29 for an initial contact with the island, and before her meetings with the two leaders, it is expected that she will be briefed by UNFICYP on the overall situation and will also visit Famagusta.
President Christodoulides stressed that “ensuring a favorable environment is also an urgent need,” adding that “unfortunately, on the ground, we continue to face successive challenges and violations, as well as attempts by Turkish occupying forces to infiltrate the buffer zone in various areas.”
He continued, saying that they responded to these challenges with composure and self-restraint while taking all measures to ensure the status of the buffer zone.
During the questions and answers session, President Christodoulides was asked to respond to the statement of a Turkish Cypriot politician who, besides indicating that Turkish Cypriots voted “yes” to the Annan Plan and yet remained isolated while Greek Cypriots said “no” and were accepted into the EU, suggested that human rights are for all Cypriots.
Responding, President Christodoulides emphasized that isolation is due to the Turkish invasion and continued occupation, depriving Turkish Cypriots of their rights.
At the same time, he made a special mention of the benefits that Turkish Cypriots gained from Cyprus’ accession to the EU, including obtaining the passport of the Republic of Cyprus, and the enforcement of the Green Line Regulations.
The President stated that in the coming days, he will announce unilateral measures towards Turkish Cypriots.
