The government has expressed its contentment with the approval of the European Parliament’s Progress Report on Turkey, along with the adoption of an amendment proposed by Cypriot Members of the European Parliament.
In an official statement concerning the report, Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said, “The Cypriot Government expresses its satisfaction with the approval by the European Parliament Plenary of the Progress Report on Turkey and the adoption of the amendment proposed by Cypriot Members of the European Parliament, which includes a paragraph condemning Turkish violations and attacks against peacekeepers in the Pyla area.”
Letymbiotis underscored the significance of paragraph 33 in the European Parliament’s resolution, which calls for more active EU involvement in efforts to break the impasse. He stressed that this approach forms a core element of the President of the Republic’s initiative and could play a pivotal role in reinvigorating negotiation efforts.
The Spokesperson also pointed out that the report reiterates the European Parliament’s backing for efforts to reach a solution to the Cyprus issue within the framework of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as outlined in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The report calls for a resumption of negotiations from the point they left off in Crans Montana and advises against actions and provocations that hinder progress, expressing regret over Turkey’s promotion of a two-state solution.
Furthermore, it condemns actions that endorse a separatist regime and urges the withdrawal of Turkish troops, emphasising respect for UN Security Council resolutions. The report strongly denounces Turkey’s continued violations of UN resolutions 550 and 789, urging an immediate reversal of its illegal and unilateral actions in Varosha.
Letymbiotis noted that the report advocates respecting the buffer zone’s status and the mission of the peacekeeping force in Cyprus. It notes that similar attacks constitute international law violations and calls on Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to refrain from such actions and provocations that hinder the resumption of negotiations.
The report additionally highlights the importance of cooperation in resolving the fate of missing persons, preserving cultural heritage, and safeguarding the educational rights of the enclaved.
“The vision of the European Union and the principles on which it is based cannot accommodate divided homelands. The occupation of Cyprus is an open wound in the heart of Europe; it is a European problem that requires European solutions,” Letymbiotis added.
