Cyprus Archives

Yiannakis Omirou : Cyprus and Armenia should create common front against Ankara

November 19, 2014 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Mutual assistance between Armenia and Cyprus stands on a solid foundation, head of the Parliament of Cyprus Yiannakis Omirou said speaking at the National Assembly of Armenia.

He invited the head of the Armenian parliament Galust Sahakyan to visit Cyprus in the near future.

“The presence of the Armenian community in Cyprus is an additional guarantee of the development of and strengthening of our relations creating a wide range of cooperation in politics, economy, military, education and culture,” he said.

On behalf of the House of Representatives and the people of Cyprus, Omirou expressed his gratitude for the principled and consistent policy of Armenia in the name of freedom and the reunification of Cyprus and its people.

“We are aware of the price that you paid for this support, for which we thank you,” he emphasized.

Speaking about Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus, he noted that despite international condemnation, Ankara’s violations are becoming more open and destabilize the entire region.

“At the same time, government and military leaders of Turkey openly threatened to use military force, if the Republic of Cyprus continues to implement its sovereign rights,” he added.

The official added that such behavior of Turkey is familiar to Armenians. Yiannakis Omirou is convinced that the refusal to ratify the protocols is a manifestation of the same policy.

“Despite the difficulties caused by Ankara, Cyprus and Armenia should intensify bilateral relations, to join efforts in international organizations and take advantage of Cyprus and the Armenian Diaspora, creating a common front against the policies of Turkey. On behalf of the members of the House of Representatives and myself I express my willingness to work in this direction.

Perhaps, Armenia and Cyprus are not strong states, but our commitment is justified. We have lived and prospered and in more severe conditions. Armenian and Cypriot nations are fighting for freedom and justice, and their will is unshakable”.

With Egyptian President on his side, Greek Cypriot leader accuses Turkey

November 9, 2014 By administrator

CAIRO – Agence France-Presse
In this photo provided by Egypt’s state news agency MENA, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (from left), Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras shake hands to pose for photos after a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 8, 2014. AP Photo/MENA, Mohammed Abd el-Moaty

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Nov. 8 accused Turkey of “provocative actions” that he said are hindering the island’s peace talks and compromising security in the eastern Mediterranean.

Last month Greek Cyprus suspended its participation in UN-led peace talks with Turkey amid tensions over Ankara’s determination to search for oil and gas in the same region where the Greek Cypriot government has licensed exploratory drills in an exclusive economic zone.

“Turkey’s provocative actions do not just compromise the peace talks, but also affect security in the eastern Mediterranean region,” Anastasiades said during a visit to Cairo.

“For the (peace) negotiations to succeed Turkey needs to show positive intention and adopt a constructive stance through positive and effective steps in this direction,” he said, according to a translation.

The Greek Cypriot leader was speaking at a joint news conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

Since Oct. 20 a Turkish survey vessel has encroached Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone off the island’s southern coast, according to Nicosia.

Ankara had issued a notice that a Turkish seismic vessel would carry out a survey until Dec. 30 in the same area where the Italian-Korean energy consortium ENI-Kogas is operating.

Ankara opposes the Cypriot government’s exploitation of offshore energy reserves before a deal is reached to solve the decades-long division of the east Mediterranean island.

Anastasiades, Samaras and Sisi were at a summit in Cairo on Nov. 8 to discuss regional security and economic cooperation.

November/08/2014

Cyprus President says won’t return to ‘dialogue of the deaf’ with Turkey

October 20, 2014 By administrator

Cyprus President Anastasiades has sent a clear message that he would not yield to advice or suggestions to return to “a dialogue of the deaf”, referring to the UN-led negotiations with the Turkish Cypriot side, InCyprus reports.

Speaking on Sunday, Oct 19, Anastasiades said “I would have been unworthy of the people’s mandate if I had remained at the negotiating table under threat and new faits accomplis” which Ankara has created.

He said that regional developments “may have prevented some circles from taking more decisive measures against Turkey, even if they fully recognize that Nicosia’s decision to suspend its participation in the ongoing dialogue is justified.”

Turkey has issued a NAVTEX (Navigational Telex), a notice to mariners advising that it was reserving areas south of Cyprus, part of which extends into the Republic’s exclusive economic zone where foreign oil companies are drilling, for seismic surveys from Oct 20 to Dec 30.

Anastasiades at that time announced decision to suspend his participation in the UN-led negotiations which aim to reunify the island under a federal roof.

“The unacceptable provocation by Turkey, five days before the beginning of the substantive dialogue on the Cyprus problem, not only violates international law in a flagrant way but also proves wrong all those who believed in Turkey’s assurances about a substantial contribution to the solution of the problem,” he said, according to InCyprus.

As regards natural resources in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Anastasiades said that “some third parties from foreign countries advise us that it is possible, through various actions, for the natural wealth to be determined now with the participation of the Turkish Cypriots. I want to point out to them that nothing of the sort will ever be accepted. Such a thing will never be accepted.”

“What we have said and we repeat and we will keep saying because it is self-evident, is that the natural wealth belongs to the state and it is therefore also an incentive for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots. Let there be at last a solution and through the solution the Turkish Cypriots will also of course benefit and will certainly also enjoy the benefits,” he noted.

Anastasiades said that “unfortunately, Turkey’s recent actions do not serve the purpose of confidence building measures or the creation of a constructive environment which would facilitate the process of the talks. To the contrary, they create mistrust and raise serious doubts within the Greek Cypriot community with regard to Ankara’s true intentions of Turkey.”

Adopting confidence building measures would be a tangible proof of the commitment of the leadership of both communities, and in particular of Turkey, for the support of the efforts by civil society to build understanding, trust and good will, acting in this way as a catalyst for the negotiating process, he said.

“I want to make clear that if there is a side that is interested in the earliest possible solution of the Cyprus problem, this is neither Turkey nor the Turkish Cypriot leadership that have hindered the solution for 40 years through their intransigence. It is neither Turkey nor the Turkish Cypriots who were forced to abandon their ancestral homes. It is the Greek Cypriots who are paying the price,” he added.

Anastasiades assured that he will never tire of working and reiterated “our desire for a solution to be found at the earliest possible, a solution that will address our expectations and will not ignore the rights of the Turkish Cypriots either.”

Greece reacts to Erdoğan’s visit to KKTC, says it is illegal

September 2, 2014 By administrator

Athens has reacted to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), saying his visit to the island is “illegal” and his statements during the visit show that Turkey will continue to pursue an “aggressive policy” against Greek Cyprus.

In a written statement released on Monday on the Greek Foreign Ministry’s website, spokesperson Konstantinos Koutras commented on the remarks Erdoğan made concerning his visit to the KKTC.

“The newly elected president of Turkey, Mr. Erdoğan, carried out an illegal visit to the occupied section of Cyprus, making disappointing statements that simply confirm Ankara’s persistence in its aggressive policy against the Republic of Cyprus,” Koutras said, adding that Greek Cyprus is a member state of the European Union, to which Turkey has applied for membership, and that “Turkey’s European course passes through the recognition of” Greek Cyprus.

After his inauguration on Aug. 28, Erdoğan paid his first visit abroad as president of Turkey to the KKTC on Monday in a bid to show Ankara’s solidarity with Turkish Cypriots. During his visit, Erdoğan called on Greece, as a guarantor country in the dispute, to “fulfill its duty” as Turkey does, saying that the window of opportunity will not remain open forever. He also criticized Greek Cyprus for its lack of will to achieve reconciliation during a press conference in İstanbul. He said that the Cyprus problem can be solved through reciprocal good will; however, Greek Cyprus has never adopted a “positive approach” towards reunification.

Koutras also responded to Erdoğan’s call for Greece to play a more conciliatory role, saying that Erdoğan is attempting “to equate certain of Greece’s international obligations with Turkey’s heavy burden of responsibility regarding the Cyprus issue.” He added that any such correlation is “historically and legally groundless and, thus, politically unacceptable” and underlined that Turkey bears responsibility for ending the “illegal military occupation and ongoing crime of settlement” in Cyprus.

“Moreover, if Turkey wants, as it claims, to facilitate the negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus issue, it should, without any further delay, proceed to practical moves of good will, comply with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights [ECtHR], and end any illegal or provocative activity in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf,” the Foreign Ministry official stated.

Cyprus has been divided between the Greek Cypriot south and the Turkish Cypriot north since 1974, when Turkey sent troops to the island in the aftermath of a Greek-inspired coup that sought to unite the island with Greece. The Greek Cypriot administration is internationally recognized as representing the entire island, while only Turkey recognizes the KKTC.

Reunification talks between Greek and Turkish Cyprus resumed at the beginning of this year; however, they haven’t produced any result thus far. Negotiations have repeatedly stumbled over issues ranging from power sharing to redrawing territorial boundaries, as well as property claims of tens of thousands of displaced persons.

Cypriot Parliament Marks 40 Years of Turkish Invasion

July 11, 2014 By administrator

by Nikoleta Kalmouki – Jul 10, 2014
During an event organised by the Cypriot parliament to mark the 40 years of the Turkish invasion, the House President Yiannakis Omirou stated that the difficult economic situation of Cyprus should not affect the course of the Cypriot problem.

Omirou said that the national strategy must be based on the island’s natural resources and the geo-strategic, geo-political and geo-economic data that are forming in the region, such as the cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, the excellent relations of Cyprus with the Arab world, and Turkey’s deteriorating relations within the region.

“We have to work for the recovery of the Cypriot economy. We have to make good use of all the strengths of Cypriot society, just like after the tragedy of 1974. Our economy, along with our defence, are the top pillars of the necessary national strategy to achieve our goal,” he said.

The event was attended by the President of Greek Parliament, Evangelos Meimarakis. The Greek MP expressed the support of Greece for a just and functional solution of the Cyprus problem within the framework of the UN Security Council decisions and Cyprus’ status as a EU member.

The “Mikis Theodorakis” orchestra performed poems by Yiannis Ritsos, one of Greece’s most important poets, accompanied by Theodorakis’ music.
– See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/07/10/cypriot-parliament-marks-40-years-of-turkish-invasion/#sthash.2VZ5JCfS.dpuf

Court Orders Turkey to Pay Cyprus Over Invasion

May 12, 2014 By administrator

ISTANBUL May 12, 2014 (AP)
By DESMOND BUTLER Associated Press

Europe’s top human rights court in its largest ever judgment ordered Turkey on Monday to pay 90 million euros ($123 million) to Cyprus for its 1974 invasion and the island’s subsequent division.

The decision from the European Court of Human Rights said the passage of time did not erase Turkey’s responsibility in the case, ruling that Turkey must pay 30 million euros in damages to relatives of those missing in the operations and 60 million euros for “the enclaved Greek-Cypriot residents of the Karpas peninsula.”

Hundreds of Greek Cypriots still live in the Karpas peninsula in the northernmost tip of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot part of the island.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkey invaded in 1974 after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state that was proclaimed in the north of the island.

The judgment comes as the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities are making a new effort to reunite the island.

Speaking ahead of the ruling on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned that a judgment against Turkey would come at a delicate time and said that he viewed it as “neither binding nor of any value.”

“Not only is it legally problematic, its timing is wrong,” Davutoglu said.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision would not detract from Turkey’s “determination” to reach a settlement.

Cyprus’ government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides hailed the court’s decision and called on Turkey to comply immediately.

“Despite the fact that the persecution and hardship that they have endured cannot be measured in money, the Cyprus government welcomes the fact that the court again condemns in this way Turkey’s policy of violating the human rights of the enclaved,” he said.

The court said it would be up to the government of Cyprus to determine how to award the damages. Turkey has not always complied with the court’s rulings.

In a 1998 ruling, the Strasbourg court ordered Turkey to pay Titina Loizidou compensation for depriving her of property in the seaside city of Kyrenia. It was the first case in which a Greek Cypriot successfully sued Turkey over the invasion and earned the right to compensation.

Turkey paid the money in 2003, but has yet to comply with an earlier European Court decision ordering Ankara to allow Loizidou to reclaim her property.

Analysts noted that the current case was notable not only because of its size, but also because it took Turkey to task for the invasion and awarded the money to Cyprus on behalf of individuals, a sensitive point that could affect current reunification talks.

“The big question is how the decision will affect the negotiations that are the most promising ever,” said Cengiz Aktar, an analyst on Turkey-EU affairs at the Istanbul Policy Center. “It could put the talks into difficulty.”

Achilleas Demetriades, a prominent human rights lawyer in Cyprus, who has won several cases in the European Court involving Turkey, said that the judgment also pertains to Turkey’s failure to carry out an effective investigation of the whereabouts of Greek Cypriots who disappeared during and after the invasion of the island, and to provide that information to relatives of the missing.

Nicos Sergides, president of the Greek Cypriot organization of relatives of missing persons, said the ruling could offer fresh hope for relatives to find out what happened to their loved ones.

———

Angela Charlton and Lori Hinnant in Paris, Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia contributed to this report.

Greek cemetery ‘fashion shoot’ international crisis has created

April 2, 2014 By administrator

Orthodox cemetery in Kyrenia in the Turkish students fashion shoot turned into an international crisis. Cyprus has apologized to the Greek press.

In the TRNC, the Greek Orthodox cemetery in Kyrenia in Cyprus picked up the fashion shoot. Island crisis in graphics and design department at a university freshman at the Orthodox cemetery of Bilal Baştemur his ‘model shots’ after the burst. Basten, shooting yayımlayın was confused mess on their personal websites.

Greek media, “the Turks did disrespect for our cemetery” broadcasts began to be made. Fileleftheros newspaper, “Greeks, in this case ‘barbarism’ and ‘looting’ that qualify as” he wrote.

We condemn the desecration

Greek Orthodox Church also took issue with close follow-up, the UN and EU officials were forwarded to the responses. Cyprus in the media, “I’m sorry” from the Greeks throwing cuff apologized. Greek Church, Cyprus also contact the Office of Religious Affairs was. TRNC President of the Religious Affairs Office Talib Atalay, “the sadness in the face of disrespect” transmitting Greek Church, “to investigate the incident” was requested. Atalay, the apartment was “following the issue will be” assured. Nationality to Atalay, “We condemn this shooting. Unacceptable disrespect for belief, “he said. Cemeteries also Basten, who shot the model, “with the permission we entered inside, never thinking of disrespect,” he said.

Apologized to the Greek

“I’m very sorry because of reports” he is Basten, “I’m sorry for the Greek people. We have received permission from security when entering the cemetery there. I think it would be something like this. I never thought such a provocation, “he said. Composer, after the events raised’s photo. Model shooting attack took place on the first page in Greek newspapers.