RESOLUTION 10.3.1988
on the situation in Cyprus

The European Parliament,

1. having regard to the following motions for resolutions:
2. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. MAVROS on the continued occupation of territory in the Republic of Cyprus by Turkish armed forces (Doc. B 2-1576/85),
3. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. PORDEA, Mr. DIMITRIADES, Mrs LEHIDEUX, Mr. PETRONIO and Mr. CAMARET on Cyprus (Doc. B 2-1636/85),
4. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. LOMAS, Mr. NEWENS, Mr. BALFE and Mr. SEAL on the Turkish occupation of Cyprus (Doc. B 2-10/86),
5. motion for a resolution tabled by Lady ELLES on the continuing problem of missing persons in Cyprus (Doc. B 2-1134/86),
6. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. MAVROS on the distortion of the national identity of Cyprus by the Turkish occupation troops (Doc. B 2-1175/86),
7. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. LOMAS on missing people in Cyprus (Doc. B 2- 1379/86),
8. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. TRIDENTE on the case of the Turkish Cypriot Member of Parliament Mr. Ozker Ozgur (Doc. B 2-649/87),
9. motion for a resolution tabled by Mr. TRIDENTE and others on the 'Women Walk Home' movement (Doc. B 2-1252/87),
10. having regard to the United Nations Charter and the resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council on Cyprus, particularly on the Turkish military intervention of 1974 and on the consequences thereof,
11. having regard to the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe,
12. having regard to the reports on Cyprus by the Council of Europe's Commission of Human Rights,
13. having regard to the resolutions adopted by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on 21 October 1977 and 20 January 1979,
14. having regard to the various drafts drawn up by the United Nations Secretary-General in April 1985 and March 1986,
15. having regard to the 1954 Convention of the Hague for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,
16. having regard to the Paris Convention of 1970 on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property,
17. having regard to the report by the Political Affairs Committee (Doc. A 2-317/87),
    1. having regard to the Association Agreement between the Republic of Cyprus and the Community,
    2. whereas the constitution of 16 August 1960 enshrined the independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, which is recognized by all the Member States of the United Nations and the European Community,
    3. noting that the coup d'etat of 15 July 1974, remote-controlled by the dictatorship of the Greek colonels, led directly to Turkish military intervention which, following the restoration of democracy both in Greece and in Cyprus, was followed by a second military operation on a larger scale leading to the occupation of a large part of the island by Turkish troops and then the partitioning of the island and the unilateral proclamation of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' on 15 November 1983,
    4. whereas all the Foreign Ministers of the EEC Member States meeting in political cooperation have condemned the illegal proclamation of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' and have constantly supported international moves aimed at re-establishing the independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus,
    5. whereas no Member States of the EEC or the UN with the single exception of Turkey has recognized the existence of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus',
    6. concerned that the continuing settlement of Turkish citizens from the mainland in the northern part of the island of Cyprus is changing the population structure and making the resolution of the conflict between the ethnic groups substantially harder,
    7. whereas the European Community has a concern for and an interest in seeing a political settlement of the Cyprus problem in keeping with the rules of democracy that will put an end to the military occupation of part of the Republic of Cyprus, re-establishing its unity and the state of law over the whole of its territory, and whereas such a settlement is a requirement of its Mediterranean policy, one of the basic axes around which its activity revolves,
    I. On the re-establishment of a state of law in Cyprus
    1. Calls on the Council, in order to facilitate the resumption and successful outcome of negotiations between the two communities, to devote special study to the possibility of an economic opening by the Community towards the Republic of Cyprus as a whole, the practical arrangements for such a move and its consequences, and also, in the long term, the question of CyprusÕs possible accession to the Community;
    2. Notes that the unlawful occupation of part of the territory of a country associated with the Community by the military forces of another associate partner presents a major stumbling block to the normalization of relations with the latter, viz. Turkey;
    3. Asks the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation to consider the ways and means whereby a state of law might be re-established in Cyprus, and to devote particular attention to the possibility of a resumption of negotiations between the communities under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, with the aim of conferring on the Republic of Cyprus the status of a federation, the constituent parts of which would be in proportion to the composition of the population which would guarantee the rights of the two communities, free the island from the presence of all foreign troops and guarantee freedom of movement, freedom of establishment and the property rights of members of both communities, and ensure the security of both the Greek and Turkish communities, and to keep the European Parliament informed on a regular basis;
    4. Expects the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation simultaneously to put pressure on the Turkish government, which is linked to the EEC by an association agreement and is an applicant for membership, to draw up a precise timetable for the withdrawal of its troops, in accordance with the proposals made by the UN SecretaryGeneral, and that of the Turkish settlers, and to take a number of positive steps in accordance with international law, in particular by withdrawing a considerable part of its contingent without waiting for the final agreement between the two communities to be concluded; and giving the refugees from Famagusta the opportunity to return to and settle freely in their homes and expects the European Parliament to be kept regularly up-to-date on the initiatives adopted;

       II. On partial agreements to bring the two communities closer together

    5. Asks the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation to pave the way for partial intercommunal agreements providing, in particular, for a rewriting of the school books on both sides to give each community a positive image of the other and to teach the younger generation to know one another better, without hatred and in a spirit of respect for each other;
    6. Also asks the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation to recommend partial agreements between the two communities on, among other things, technical, economic, cultural and sporting exchanges between the two parts of the Republic, and stresses that such exchanges are a means of enhancing mutual understanding and forestalling fresh complaints;

       III. On the problem of missing people

    7. Emphasizes that the families of the missing people have a right to know the truth and urges the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation to redouble their efforts to find a positive solution, in agreement with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the representatives of the Turkish-Cypriot community, to this humanitarian problem and suggests that they endeavour to obtain agreement from all the sides involved to call in the International Committee of the Red Cross to carry out a search mission and take steps to ensure that it can carry out its mission unimpeded wherever it feels it can uncover relevant facts;
    8. Draws the MinistersÕ attention to the need to find a final solution to this painful problem without delay, particularly through the release of those missing people who might be detained in prison;
    9. On the problem of cultural property
    10. a. Points out that the cultural heritage of each people must be preserved and condemns the systematic policy of expunging the past and the Hellenic and Christian culture pursued by Turkey in the part of Cyprus occupied by its troops, as regards both the imposition of place-names and the disappearance or transformation of the island's cultural heritage;
        b. Views with deep concern the legal action launched by the Turkish-Cypriot leader Mr. Rauf Denktash against the leader of the largest Turkish-Cypriot opposition party Mr. Ozker Ozgur for alleged libel; notes with alarm that the award of C’100,000 damages against Mr. Ozgur by a Turkish-Cypriot court will, if implemented, lead to the closure of Mr. Ozgur's party office and newspaper and to his personal bankruptcy.
    11. Asks the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation to make representations to the Turkish authorities and the representatives of the Turkish-Cypriot community to secure their agreement to UNESCO being entrusted with the task of preserving the Christian and Hellenic cultural heritage in the occupied part of the island;
    12. Asks its President to place a reconsideration of the Cyprus situation on the agenda for debate within a year of the adoption of this resolution;
    13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, with its explanatory statement, to the Commission, the Council, the Foreign Ministers meeting in political cooperation, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the representatives of the Turkish-Cypriot community, the Governments of the Member States and the Turkish Government, the United Nations Secretary-General, the Director-General of UNESCO and the SecretaryGeneral of the ICRC.