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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-04-03

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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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