Syllouris: Greek Cypriot Side Maintains Its Goodwill in Working Towards a Solution

  The Greek Cypriot side maintains, despite obstacles, its good will in working towards a Cyprus settlement, House President Demetris Syllouris said on August 4, adding that this good will is creating hope and should be seized upon by Turkey, noting, at the same time, that “sadly it is an opportunity gone wasted by Ankara”, Cyprus News Agency reports.  

Speaking before a delegation of the European Democrat Students (EDS) that is visiting Cyprus, Syllouris said that Turkey insists on the anachronistic and failed project of guarantees for a final settlement, noting that “our bitter experience has shown that an occupying power cannot be a guarantor or maintain troops in Cyprus following a solution of the problem. Our concern has in fact been heightened by the recent failed coup in Turkey and the actions of the Turkish government which followed,” he stressed.

Syllouris said that “we acknowledge that there have been mistakes on both sides in Cyprus, however, it must be clarified that the Cyprus problem is not a bi-communal dispute as Turkey claims. It is an international issue of illegal invasion and occupation, which violates substantial principles of international law”.

Cyprus, he said, is for 42 years a victim of continuing violations of international and European law, as well as of all international human rights instruments. Turkish troops since 1974 occupied over 36% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, around one third of Cypriots is displaced and is deprived of their properties, he noted.

He added that meanwhile Turkey continues to alter the demographic character of Cyprus, through the systematic policy of colonization in the occupied area, adding that this is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention.

“In view of the mass migration of Turkish Cypriots from the occupied area, the total number of Turkish troops (40.000) and settlers is now greater than that of the remaining Turkish Cypriots (for example one Turkish soldier corresponds to two Turkish Cypriots). Additionally, due to the Turkish invasion, 70% of the Cyprus’ economic resources were destroyed,” he noted.

Referring to the current negotiations between the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, initially created reserved optimism, but statements by Turkish officials and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, are disappointing and prove once again that Ankara holds the key to the solution by dictating the decisions on the Cyprus issue.

Syllouris noted that on the humanitarian side, the worst consequence of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus is the tragic problem of the missing persons, saying that the initial number of missing persons was 1619 and that following the implementation of the project for exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of those found, the number of the missing still remains 1019.

“Turkey still refuses to implement the European Court of Human Rights decisions with regard to Greek Cypriot missing persons, as well as the Council of Europe and other international resolutions on the issue. Turkey`s responsibility and obligations are huge, but it still continues to hinder access to sites and information,” he stressed.

Syllouris said that Ankara and the Turkish army committed “the inhumane and criminal act of destroying sites of mass burial of Greek Cypriots and have relocated their remains to unknown sites”.

Ankara continues to refuses to hand over information from its military archives on the fate of Greek Cypriots and Greeks who went missing, and refuses to identify the sites, used to bury those missing during and after the hostilities. The issue of missing persons in Cyprus remains unsolved and Turkey bears the responsibility of placing obstacles during the whole procedure, he added.

Furthermore, he noted that Turkey also periodically creates tensions and provocations, questioning Cyprus’ exercise of its sovereign right in its Exclusive Economic Zone. He underlined that Cyprus exercises these rights according to international law, particularly in full compliance with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, for exploring its natural resources in its own Exclusive Economic Zone. The EU, the USA and other countries recognize these rights, and their officials have made statements to this effect, he said.

Referring to Cyprus` economy, Syllouris said that as a consequence of the better macroeconomic and fiscal performance, combined with the restoration of the investors’ confidence in the Cypriot economy, Cyprus has been able to borrow from the international markets. “But, this is not enough. We are working hard so that the prosperity of numbers will finally translate into real prosperity for the people as well, in a framework of substantially improved conditions of the real economy,” he stressed.

Finally, he noted that as an EU member state Cyprus strongly believes that the unification process of Europe is and remains a “priceless stroke of fortune”, to which we owe both our life in peace and freedom and our standard of living.