Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 01-07-24

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

Tuesday, 24 July 2001

CONTENTS

• [01] No third party would be allowed to veto Cyprus EU' accession
• [02] Library of Congress report on the negative effects of Turkey's occupation of Cyprus

[01] No third party would be allowed to veto Cyprus EU' accession

In response to the Committee's recommendation that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes the earliest possible steps to open discussions within the EU on how in practical terms the far from hypothetic problem of the accession of Cyprus while it is still politically divided should be overcome, Mr Straw stated the following:

"We believe than the objective must be to reach a Cyprus settlement before enlargement. So we strongly support the international settlement process under UN auspices. But, as the Helsinki European Council agreed, a settlement is not a precondition for accession. It may, at some stage, be necessary to discuss within the EU the practical implications of accession if no settlement has been reached. But to start doing so now would risk undermining the credibility of the UN efforts to reach a settlement, by suggesting that the EU expected them to fail".

To the recommendation that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should intensify its efforts to secure EU wide agreement that Turkey should not have a veto over the accession of Cyprus, Mr Straw recalled the Helsinki European Council conclusions, which made it clear that a settlement of the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for accession. "Thus no third party would be allowed to have a veto over the accession of Cyprus" he said, adding that the British government continues to stand by the Helsinki conclusions of December 1999.

[02] Library of Congress report on the negative effects of Turkey's occupation of Cyprus

The report gives a detailed list of the laws passed by the US Congress over the last 27 years that have criticised Turkey for its occupation of Cyprus.

Congressman Engel said that the report "highlights the fact that Turkey has experienced numerous, damaging Congressional actions over the years due to its continued illegal occupation of Cyprus", and expressed the hope that "this year Turkey will bring an end to the need for these types of legislative actions by ending its division and occupation of Cyprus."

He pointed out that the end of Turkey's occupation of Cyprus would greatly improve Turkey's relations with the United States as well as with the European Union and the United Nations.

"Those of us in the US Congress who have been working so many years for a just and viable Cyprus settlement sincerely hope that Turkey soon sees thatending its occupation of Cyprus is in its best interest," he said.

Among the dozens of Congressional expressions of dissatisfaction towards Turkey's occupation of Cyprus, the CRS report enumerated 12 US laws. Some of the laws highlighted in the report include:

· The December 1974 law that suspended "all military assistance, all sales of defence articles and services" to Turkey;

· The 1983 resolution calling on Turkey to "take without delay all necessary steps to reverse the illegal action declaring [the occupied area of Cyprus] an independent state;"

· The 1984 and 1985 law conditioning US Military assistance to Turkey on the US Government "acting with urgency and determination to oppose any actions aimed at affecting a permanent bifurcation of Cyprus";

· The 1989 law requiring that any agreement for the sale or provision of US military equipment "shall expressly state that the article is being provided only with the understanding that it will not be transferred to Cyprus or otherwise used to further the severance or division of Cyprus";

· The 1994 and 1995 laws limiting military and economic assistance to Turkey based on Turkey's intransigence on Cyprus.

Congressman Engel said that the report is just the tip of the iceberg of numerous laws, resolutions and other official expressions of criticism, which Turkey has brought upon itself. "Turkey's image has been damaged not only in the United States, but at the United Nations and throughout the European Union due to its continued occupation", he concluded.

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

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