Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 00-09-04

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

Monday, 4 September 2000

CONTENTS

• [01] Kyprianou highlights the lack of progress in achieving the goals of the United Nations
• [02] Kaklamanis: Turkey is undermining every effort to settle the Cyprus problem
• [03] President of IPU expresses wish to contribute to Cyprus settlement
• [04] Stockholm Conference Resolution on Cyprus

[01] Kyprianou highlights the lack of progress in achieving the goals of the United Nations

Addressing, the Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments, entitled "the Parliamentary Vision for International Cooperation on the Eve of the Third Millennium" last Friday, Mr Kyprianou highlighted the lack of progress in achieving the goals of the United Nations and the need for determined and decisive action in this direction.

Referring to Cyprus, Mr Kyprianou noted that for "over 26 years as a result of the continuing Turkish occupation of a substantial part of the territory of Cyprus, its people are being subjected to the most brute violations of human rights".

"These crimes are tantamount to the abhorrent policy of ethnic cleansing, which in Cyprus began to be applied much earlier than the time this term was first coined", he added:

"Situations such as the one persisting in Cyprus undermine international co- operation, peace and security and constitute dangerous precedents for similar violations of international law to surface in other parts of the world and remain unpunished", he said.

Mr Kyprianou pointed out that the role of co-operation between governments and between parliaments, as well as the operation of international organizations such as the United Nations, must be viewed precisely in this context.

If the international community and the United Nations in particular "fail to implement international law and UN resolutions, then international co- operation lacks substance and the perpetrators of these violations are encouraged to adopt even more intransigent positions defying the UN and the collective will of the international community" he added.

In the case of Cyprus the Turkish side refuses to abandon its expansionist policies and utterly disregards international law and the pertinent UN resolutions, he said adding that Turkey, not feeling international pressure to abandon her intransigent stance, engages in further provocations, escalating tension.

"When the culprit state exhibits such behaviour, it would be unrealistic and devoid of any legal and moral basis to expect a just and viable settlement to be reached through concession upon concession by the victim of the aggression", he said.

"It needs hardly emphasizing that in the face of such overt challenging of the authority of the United Nations, the Organization must at long last be firm in promoting implementation of its own resolutions and not appear to waver and compromise its goal and mandate as enshrined in its Charter and entrusted to it by the community of member-states", he said in conclusion.

[02] Kaklamanis: Turkey is undermining every effort to settle the Cyprus problem

Speaking to the press, after addressing the Parliamentary Presidents UN Summit in New York last Thursday, Mr Kaklamanis said that during his meeting with the UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan, he pointed out to him that the UN-led proximity talks on Cyprus have not led anywhere so far, due to Turkey's intransigence.

Mr Annan had agreed, he said, that no progress has been achieved in the UN talks. He told Mr Kaklamanis that he intends to call on the two parties in Cyprus to enter into discussions on the substance of the Cyprus problem.

This is a positive development because it will demonstrate clearly which of the two sides is to blame for not responding to this call, Mr Kaklamanis said, adding that he could not rule out the possibility of a new negative move by Turkey or the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Dentkash before the talks begin.

Mr Kaklamanis wondered how the United States could tolerate such a situation, having signed all the Security Council resolutions on Cyprus, and called upon the US to stop giving "Denktash and his patrons in Ankara, the impression that they stand by their side".

In reply to a question on the Secretary General's reaction to the situation in Strovilia, where Turkish occupation forces illegally moved their positions forward from the cease-fire line, Mr Kaklamanis said that Mr Annan's position is quite clear and noted that back in 1975, a year after the Turkish invasion, one word from the UN was enough to see Denktash back down. "I believe this is a matter for the UN and Britain," he added.

[03] President of IPU expresses wish to contribute to Cyprus settlement

Mrs Heptulla had expressed this position to the President of the House of Representatives Mr Spyros Kyprianou at a meeting on the sidelines of the Parliamentary Presidents UN Summit, in New York last Thursday.

Mrs Neptulla also accepted an invitation from Mr Kyprianou to visit Cyprus.

[04] Stockholm Conference Resolution on Cyprus

The conference was organized by the Left and Progressive Parties of Europe, and was attended by 300 participants, including Turkish Cypriots.

In their resolution, the participants describe "the present status quo (in Cyprus) as dangerous and unacceptable", and express "deep concern over the lack of progress for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem".

They underline "the urgent need to reach a peaceful and viable solution to the Cyprus problem" and reconfirm their position that "a solution of the Cyprus problem should be based on a single state of Cyprus with a single sovereignty and international personality and single citizenship, with its independence and territorial integrity safeguarded, and made up of two politically equal communities as described in the relevant Security Council Resolutions, in the framework of a bicommunal and bizonal federation". Such a solution, "should exclude the union in full or in part with any other country or any other form of partition or secession", they add.

They underline their "opposition to any act that leads to escalation of the aggravated situation and to a possible military conflict" and note that "the UN should react decisively and restore the conditions that existed before at Strovilia".

They support "the relevant provisions of the UN resolutions" and appeal to all interested parties "to agree on measures for the gradual decrease of the troops and armaments having as a final goal the demilitarization of the island".

They note that "a just and viable solution can only be achieved in a peaceful way, by means of substantive talks under the auspices of the UN, on the basis of the UN resolutions and the high level agreements".

They believe that "the negotiating procedure underway has not yielded results so far due to the fact that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktash, with the tolerance of external powers, puts insistently on the negotiating table the position for a confederal solution and the creation of two sovereign states."

They call upon Turkey and Mr Rauf Denktash to comply with UN resolutions and the high level agreements of 1977 and 1979, paving the way for direct and substantive talks.

Lastly, the participants in the seminar consider that "the contacts between political parties, trade union, professional, youth, women and other organizations, groups and individuals must continue and be upgraded since they contribute, among others, to the creation of the appropriate climate for the settlement of the Cyprus problem".

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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