DM Monitoring
Ankara: Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) dismissed and criticized a “nonbinding” European Parliament (EP) resolution on Varosha (Maraş) and other Cyprus issues.
“We completely reject the nonbinding resolution adopted by the (members of the European Parliament) on our country and the TRNC,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hami Aksoy said in a statement.
Underlining that Turkey fully supports the statement made by the TRNC Presidency on the issue, Aksoy said, “This decision, which is undoubtedly dictated by the Greek Cypriot administration, once again demonstrates how disconnected from reality and prejudiced the EP is on the Cyprus issue.”
Aksoy added that if the European Parliament maintains this approach and mentality, it will not be possible for European Union bodies to make constructive contributions to the solution of the Cyprus issue.
Turkey continues to call on the EP and EU to face the island’s realities and take into account the presence of the Turkish Cypriot people as well as fulfill the EU’s commitments made in April 2004 to Turkish Cypriots, he stressed.
He noted that Turkey will continue to protect both its own rights and those of the Turkish Cypriots, adding at the same time, Ankara will continue its efforts for dialogue and negotiations. The EP asked Turkey to reverse its decision to reopen part of Varosha and resume negotiations aimed at resolving the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation. It also called on the EU to impose sanctions against Turkey. Meanwhile, the TRNC Presidency also criticized the resolution for “ignoring the existence of the Turkish Cypriots” and “unjustly accusing Turkey.”
Noting that Varosha is located within TRNC territory, the presidency said the TRNC has sole say regarding decisions made there.
The statement continued by noting that the European Union seems more than ready to be an instrument for the Greek Cypriot administration’s plots.
“The EU needs to realize that the only occupation in Cyprus took place in 1960 when the Greek Cypriot administration unilaterally ended the joint Cypriot Republic and that is the root cause of the Cypriot issue,” the statement read.
The TRNC Presidency also said the EP’s so-called “concern about the status of property rights” distorts the truth, as United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions anticipated the return of properties in Varosha to their former owners.
