Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-09-13

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] SPOKESMAN - TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY - PAPADOPOULOS` REMARKS

[02] CHINESE AMBASSADOR - UNSC FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS - CYPRUS QUESTION

[03] ATTORNEY GENERAL - ECHR - TURKISH CYPRIOT JUDGES

[01] SPOKESMAN - TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY - PAPADOPOULOS` REMARKS

In a written statement, Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas notes that if the Turkish government really believes that the presence of the Turkish troops in Cyprus is based on Turkey`s rights, emanating from international treaties, then Turkey, in compliance with the UN Charter, articles 33 and 36, can accept the solution of this legal part of the Cyprus problem by the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Palmas issued the statement in reply to the reactions of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to remarks by President Tassos Papadopoulos, who said in a televised press conference on September 11 that the Turkish army was an enemy of Cyprus.

The Spokesman points out that the Cyprus problem is one of invasion and occupation, adding that ``the presence of the Turkish army in Cyprus is the result of Turkey`s invasion of our country in the summer of 1974, which led to the capturing and occupation with the use of violence of 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.``

He adds that the continuing presence of Turkish troops on Cyprus` territory is illegal, noting that the invasion itself and the presence of the Turkish army constitute a blatant violation of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, which safeguarded the independence, territorial integrity and security of Cyprus, as well as the status quo, as it was defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. It also flagrantly violates the UN Charter and the rules of Jus Cogens, he notes.

Palmas says the Turkish army is already in its 34th year of illegal presence in Cyprus, controlling the occupied areas and, along with the Turkish government, is responsible for the national cleansing of the area from Greek Cypriots and anything reminiscent of them, replacing them with anything Turkish.

``They are responsible for the secessionist actions that led to the unilateral declaration of independence in 1983 and the creation of the secessionist local administration subject to Turkey in the occupied areas, which was deplored by the Security Council, in resolutions 541 and 550, describing it illegal and null,`` he adds.

In his statement, Palmas says ``the Turkish army, as the military arm of Turkey in Cyprus, is maintaining and promoting the division of Cyprus and the alienation of the two communities.``

``If the Turkish government really believes, as the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement says, that the presence of the Turkish troops in Cyprus is based on the rights of Turkey, emanating from international treaties, then Turkey, in compliance with the UN Charter, articles 33 and 36, can accept the solution of this legal aspect of the Cyprus problem by the International Court of Justice of The Hague,`` he says.

Palmas adds that the Cypriot government has been proving in practice that it is committed to achieving a functional and viable solution of the Cyprus problem the soonest possible, on the basis of high level agreements, relevant UN resolutions and EU principles, which will furthermore provided for the withdrawal of the occupation troops.

``In this direction, it calls on the Turkish side to show the necessary political will for the immediate implementation of the July 8 agreement,`` he concludes.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on 8 July 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of UN official Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

[02] CHINESE AMBASSADOR - UNSC FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS - CYPRUS QUESTION

The statement was made by General Secretary of the Ecologists-Environmentalists Movement, member of the House of Representatives George Perdikis after a meeting with Zhao and comes a day after the Cyprus News Agency reported that the five ambassadors met on Wednesday with UN Secretary Generals Special Representative Michael Moller where they reviewed the latest developments on the Cyprus problem, following last weeks meeting between President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

What he assured is that the five permanent members insist on the implementation of the July 8 Agreement and hope that in mid October, following the meetings President Papadopoulos and Mehmet Ali Talat will have with the UN Secretary-General, the July 8 procedure will further proceed, said Perdikis.

[03] ATTORNEY GENERAL - ECHR - TURKISH CYPRIOT JUDGES

He added that the Republic of Cyprus believes the two judges could not be objective in the specific posts at the ECHR, noting that it was now up to them to prove their objectivity.

Speaking at a press conference, Clerides said this was not the first time that Turkish Cypriot judges had been appointed for cases before the ECHR, and that on certain occasions the Republic of Cyprus had not objected and on others had.

Referring to the recent appointment of the two judges, Metin Hakki and Gionul Eronen, Clerides clarified that the objections were filed ``not because they are Turkish Cypriots but because of their capacity in the occupied areas.``

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