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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-04-03
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Thursday, 03 April 2003 President Papadopoulos sends response letter to
Denktash proposals
[02] PACE Committee adopts recommendation on Turkish colonisation in
Cyprus
[01] President Papadopoulos sends response letter to Denktash proposals
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, sent a
letter yesterday evening to the leader of the Turkish Cypriot side, Mr Rauf
Denktash, in response to the latter's letter containing specific proposals
that could "initiate a process of dialogue, leading to a working relationship"
between the two communities. In Mr Denktash's letter, sent to President
Papadopoulos earlier yesterday, the Turkish Cypriot leader proposed a
package that would include the return to Greek Cypriots of Varosha, a
fenced off and uninhabited suburb of the town of Famagusta that has been
under Turkish occupation since the 1974 Turkish invasion. In addition, Mr
Denktash suggested the establishment of a bilateral reconciliation
committee, as part of confidence-building measures between the two
communities. He further noted that he had notified the UN Secretary-General
of his proposals but did not see the need for them to be negotiated in the
framework of the UN peace process. President Papadopoulos issued his
response to the Denktash proposals after the end of the extraordinary
meeting of the National Council, the President's top advisory body on the
handling of the Cyprus issue. Mr Papadopoulos stated the following in the
letter: "I do not share your view that the stalemate at The Hague was due
to "the socio-psychological" dimension of the problem and especially the
deep crisis of confidence between the two sides".
On the contrary, I believe that the real reason of the stalemate was that
neither Turkey nor your side have accepted the Plan of the United Nations
Secretary General as a basis for negotiating the final comprehensive
settlement of the Cyprus problem. In addition your side has not cooperated
in the work of the technical committees and in the preparation of
legislation and documentation required under the Plan. It is my considered
opinion that the mission of good offices of the Secretary General
represents the best hope for us to proceed forward towards a comprehensive
settlement. My position was made abundantly clear prior, during and after
The Hague. I simply quote the statement I made after the stalemate at
The Hague, which is still valid.
"I want to give you an assurance that despite of this setback we will
continue our efforts for reaching a solution on the Cyprus problem, both
before and after Cyprus' accession to the EU and the fact of today's
setback is not going to put us outside our course of trying to find a
solution within the parameters of the Annan plan." If any resumption of the
talks is to be meaningful, giving hope for a solution of the Cyprus problem
on a comprehensive basis in the very near future, I believe that you might
indicate at the outset that: (a) You accept the continuation of the good
offices mission of the Secretary General, as provided for in the relevant
United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
(b) You accept the Plan of the Secretary General as a basis for a further
negotiating process. I sincerely hope that the Security Council will invite
the Secretary General to continue his initiative with a view to arriving as
soon as possible at a comprehensive settlement, which will entail the
solution of all problems including those referred to in your letter.
I also copy this letter to the United Nations Secretary-General. " The
National Council will reconvene next Monday, 7 April, to discuss further Mr
Denktash's proposals.
[02] PACE Committee adopts recommendation on Turkish colonisation in
Cyprus
The Committee of Migration, Refugees and Demography of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted last Tuesday, 1 April, a
draft recommendation prepared by the Rapporteur of the Committee on Turkish
colonisation of occupied Cyprus, Mr Jaakko Laakso (MP of Finland), which
makes explicit reference to a distortion of the demographics in north
Cyprus, resulting from the de facto division of the island, after the 1974
Turkish invasion, and the deliberate policy of colonisation pursued by the
occupation regime and Turkey. The draft recommendation notes that the
presence of Turkish settlers in the occupied areas of the island constitutes
a serious obstacle to the efforts for reaching a peaceful resolution of the
Cyprus problem. It further expresses concern over the continuous migration
of Turkish Cypriots in parallel with the massive influx of Turkish settlers
from Anatolia, adding that this has resulted in the shrinking of the
indigenous Turkish Cypriot population, turning it into a minority in the
occupied areas. The recommendation calls on the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe to demand that Turkey and the "subordinate local
administration" in occupied Cyprus would put an end to the colonisation
process, and that Turkey complies with the decisions of the European Court
of Human Rights regarding the right of ownership of Greek Cypriot
refugees. The recommendation will be put before the Parliamentary Assembly
for approval, during its next Session in June 2003.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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