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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-11-18
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Tuesday, 18 November 2003 Foreign Minister: Cyprus reference in
Commission's report on Turkey had significant impact on Turkish stance
[02] UN Deputy Spokesperson says no change in Secretary-General's
conclusions included in his report of 1 April 2003
[03] "The settlement of the Cyprus problem is a question of respect and
implementation of international human rights norms"
[04] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the terrorist attacks in
Istanbul
[01] Foreign Minister: Cyprus reference in Commission's report on Turkey
had significant impact on Turkish stance
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Georgios Iacovou, has noted that the
recent European Commission strategy report on Turkey, and in particular the
reference that the absence of a Cyprus settlement could pose a serious
obstacle to Ankara's EU aspirations, had a significant impact on Turkey and
the Turkish Cypriot community, more than the relevant UN Security Council
resolutions did. Speaking yesterday at the EU General Affairs and External
Relations Council meeting in Brussels, Mr Iacovou said that "a change has
been noticed, at least as regards the rhetoric used by Turkey and Mr
Denktash when referring to the Annan Plan".
"Mr Denktash has stopped repeating that the Annan plan is 'dead and buried',
while Mr Gul is touring Europe declaring that he accepts the UN Secretary-
General's Good Offices for a solution of the Cyprus problem, something we
hadn't heard from Turkish officials for many months", he added. Mr Iacovou
further said it was "a pity that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan chose his recent illegal visit to the occupied areas of Cyprus to
align himself with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and refer to a
solution of the Cyprus issue on the basis of two separate states".
Referring to the recent monitoring reports of the Commission on the ten
acceding states, Mr Iacovou noted that they were objective, and pledged
that the Cyprus Government would fulfil all its EU obligations. The Foreign
Minister also commented on the reference to Cyprus included in the agenda
of the forthcoming European Council and asked that it be modified in such a
say so as to reflect the real situation of the Cyprus problem. Mr Iacovou
specifically cited the Salonica European Council Presidency Conclusions as
well as the recent Commission reports on Cyprus and Turkey, which called on
all interested parties, and especially Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot
leadership, to support the UN Secretary-General's efforts for a solution.
Mr Iacovou's comments were supported by his counterparts from Spain, Ms Ana
Palacio, Sweden, Ms Laila Freivalds and Greece, Mr George Papandreou. Mr
Papandreou, in particular, asked for the same reference on Cyprus, as that
of the Salonica Presidency Conclusions, to be included in the agenda of the
forthcoming European Council.
[02] UN Deputy Spokesperson says no change in Secretary-General's
conclusions included in his report of 1 April 2003
UN Deputy Spokesperson, Ms Marie Okabe, asked yesterday by the Cyprus News
Agency (CNA) to say whether there was a change in the UN Secretary-
General's position as to who was responsible for the stalemate of the
Cyprus peace talks, noted, "The answer to that question is contained in the
Secretary-General's report of the 1st April 2003, which outlines the views
of the parties that have not substantially changed since then." In his
report of 1 April 2003 to the Security Council, the Secretary-General had
noted that, at The Hague, President Papadopoulos' was willing to commit to
putting the Annan plan to a referendum, while Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf
Denktash was not prepared to do the same since "he had fundamental
objections to the plan on basic points". Replying to another question by
CNA regarding the status of the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices Mission
in Cyprus, Ms Okabe again referred to a previous report by Mr Kofi Annan to
the Security Council on the UN peace-keeping mission in Cyprus, and in
particular Paragraph 14 of that report, "in which the Secretary-General
indicates that he regrets that the requirements set down in the April
report have not yet been fulfilled". She then read out an excerpt from
Paragraph 14 of the UN Chief's report as follows: "It remains my position
that no purpose would be served by renewing my Mission of Good Offices
unless there was a readiness on the part of both Cypriot parties, as well
as Greece and Turkey, to finalise negotiations with UN assistance on the
basis of the revised proposal that I presented to the parties and the
guarantor powers on the 26th of February 2003 and put the resulting
agreement to separate simultaneous referendums within a short time
thereafter".
[03] "The settlement of the Cyprus problem is a question of respect and
implementation of international human rights norms"
The Permanent Representative of the Republic to the United Nations,
Ambassador Andreas D. Mavroyiannis, has noted that the resolution of the
long-standing Cyprus problem was, in its essence, a question of respect and
implementation of international human rights norms, and added that Cyprus
relied heavily on the support of the international community "to translate
their commitment into action and actively support the Secretary-General's
mission toward that end". "However no effort will come to any good, if the
Republic of Turkey is not willing to heed the call of the international
community to withdraw its occupation troops from Cyprus, to end the
continuous human rights violations and to give the people of Cyprus, Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike, the opportunity to live in conditions
of peace and security in a reunited country, member of the European Union",
Mr Mavroyiannis stressed, in his speech yesterday before the Third
Committee at the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly on "Human rights
questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective
enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms". Mr Mavroyiannis
further pointed out that the Republic of Cyprus, having suffered from grave
violations of human rights as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion and of
the continuing occupation of one third of its territory, attached great
significance to the protection of human rights and "works hard to
incorporate a human rights aspect into all its structures and institutions
in the territory under its control in order to ensure equal opportunities
and promotion of the rights of all its citizens". Referring to the package
of measures for Turkish Cypriots adopted by the Cyprus Government, he
pointed out that "unfortunately, the occupation authorities not only
prohibit Turkish Cypriots from enjoying these benefits, but also in many
occasions suppress their freedom of speech and expression by threatening
and intimidating those who dare to challenge Turkey's policy on Cyprus and
support the idea of a reunited Cyprus, free of occupation troops and member
of the European Union". Mr Mavroyiannis also referred to the human rights
violations caused by the Turkish invasion as regards the missing persons,
the refugees and the enclaved.
On the issue of the enclaved, he noted that "the living conditions of these
people continue to deteriorate while the occupying regime continues
blatantly to refuse the implementation of the 1975 Vienna III Agreement",
adding that "during the last three decades the Greek Cypriot population in
the occupied areas has dwindled down from 20 thousand in 1975 to only four
hundred". Cyprus' UN Representative also made reference to Turkey's policy
of colonising the areas under its control, "in an attempt to alter the
demographic character of the area", and stressed that "Turkey refuses to
comply with the relevant decisions of international judicial bodies and to
contribute constructively to the achievement of a settlement of the Cyprus
problem on the basis of respect of human rights and of the relevant
resolutions of the United Nations".
[04] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the terrorist attacks in
Istanbul
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus strongly condemns
the terrorist attacks against two synagogues in Istanbul, which occurred on
Saturday15th November 2003, and which resulted in the loss of a number of
innocent lives, and the wounding of many civilians. On behalf of the
Government and the people of Cyprus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the
Government and the people of Turkey, and the Jewish community of Istanbul.
Such despicable acts of hatred are a reminder to the international
community that the fight against terrorism, and the dark forces of
fanaticism and violence is a cause in which all must partake, and one that
unites states and peoples across and beyond frontiers.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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