A delegation from the Municipality of Famagusta has argued that European Union institutions need to exert pressure on Turkey in order to prevent new efforts to change the status of Varosha, during a series of meetings held with officials from the European Commission and the European Parliament in Brussels.
Speaking during a press conference at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU, Famagusta Mayor Simos Ioannou said that the members of the delegation informed European officials regarding illegal activities prommoted by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side in Varosha. He stressed that the delegation underlined that the city does not belong to Tayyip Erdogan but to its Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot legal inhabitants.
According to Ioannou, the officials agreed that the resumption of reunification negotiations to continue from where they stopped is key, and that a two-state solution positions is unacceptable, while admitting that the situation is currently difficult due to Turkish President Erdogan’s stance.
Ioannou highlighted in particular the speeches made by two Famagustans during the opening of the Famagusta photography exhibition at the European Parliament on Tuesday.
He stressed that Famagustans should be given the opportunity to work together and restore the city to the status it had in the country and in the Eastern Mediterranean region before the invasion.
Asked about his expectations from the new Cypriot government, the Mayor of Famagusta said that it was positive that the new Foreign Minister in his first statements referred to the Famagusta issue as a priority. He admitted that in the past the Greek Cypriot side was not as proactive as it should have been and that mistakes were made, but that the Municipality will give time to the government to proceed with its plans before judging.
The Mayor of Famagusta also said that the representatives of the Municipal Council met with Cypriot Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, as well as with Despina Spanou, head of the office of the Vice President of the Commission Margaritis Schinas. The delegation also met with the head of the cabinet of Commissioner for Cohesion, Elisa Ferreira, the European Parliament rapporteur for the report on Turkey’s accession process, Nacho Sanchez Amor (Social Democrats, Spain), the Secretary General of the EPP parliamentary group Simon Busuttil, Vice-President of the European Parliament Dimitris Papadimoulis, the Co-Chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee Sergey Lagodinsky and the coordinator of the Socialist members of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) Tonino Picula.
Ioannou also said that the representation met with the head of the European Parliament’s petition committee (PETI), Dolors Montserrat, and that the discussion also included the possibility of a visit by the PETI committee to Varosha.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action. In his latest report to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Guterres underlines the importance of adhering fully to UN resolutions, underscoring that the position of the United Nations on this matter “remains unchanged.”
On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.
SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY