France which holds the monthly Presidency of the UN Security Council will refer to the matter that concerns the Turkish occupied city of Famagusta, in the framework of the consultations on Cyprus which will take place at the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
A press release issued by the French Foreign Ministry noted that French FM, Jean-Yves Le Drian, had a telephone conversation on Tuesday 20th of July with his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, at the latter’s demand, and expressed to him his support following the announcements made during the visit of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to the northern part of Cyprus.”
According to the press release, France “strongly regrets this unilateral and not concerted action which constitutes a provocation and impedes the re-establishment of the necessary trust for the urgent resumption of negotiations in view of a just and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue.”
“France which holds the monthly Presidency of the UN Security Council calls for the full respect of resolutions 550 and 789 of the UNSC and will refer to the matter in the framework of the consultations which will take place” on Wednesday, the press release noted.
Moreover, it said that France “reaffirms its commitment to the framework enacted by the UNSC based on a bizonal and bicommunal federation, which offers the two communities the full guarantee of their political equality.”
Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.
Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974. Numerous UN backed talks to reunite the island have failed to yield results.
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 on Tuesday a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha.
On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.
