The Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations, Andreas Hadjichrysanthou, in a letter addressed to the Secretary-General, has recorded violations of the national airspace of Cyprus and the illegal use of closed ports as well as Turkey’s stance in the Geneva negotiations in May.
The letter dated 27 May 2021, circulated on Monday as a UN General Assembly document.
The letter recorded the violations of the national airspace of Cyprus and the infringements of international air traffic regulations in the flight information region of Cyprus and the illegal use of closed ports and airports in Cyprus by Turkey during the months of February and March 2021.
Lone and alone, and contrary to the international law as set out, inter alia, by relevant Security Council resolutions, Turkey insists on its illegal claims by trying to impose its views of what it calls “the current realities on the ground”, said the Permanent Representative.
He noted that according to Turkey, the so-called “realities on the ground” are in fact the situation that it created in Cyprus through the use of force, in violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations, and the military occupation of one third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and the resulting human rights violations.
In his letter, the Permanent Representative underlined that “unfortunately, this Turkish perception of “reality” led the five-plus-one informal meeting on Cyprus (Geneva, 27–29 April 2021) to an inconclusive end”.
By setting as a precondition for the resumption of formal talks the “recognition of two States in Cyprus”, in blatant contradiction of the provisions of relevant Security Council resolutions and in overt disregard of the United Nations-established parameters and the existing body of work, Turkey, said Hadjichrysanthou, in consonance with the Turkish Cypriot leader, made it impossible for the participating parties to see their way clear as to how best to break the deadlock through formal negotiations.
It is equally worrisome, he added, that Turkey disregarded the UNSG’s “appeal to all parties in Geneva to refrain from any unilateral acts that could raise tension and proceeded recently with the nomination of a so-called “Consul” in the occupied city of Famagusta”.
In that regard, it should be recalled that in resolution 550 (1984), the Security Council, after having stated that it was gravely concerned about the further secessionist acts in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus which were in violation of resolution 541 (1983), namely, the purported exchange of ambassadors between Turkey and the legally invalid “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, as well as by other actions or threats of actions aimed at further consolidating the purported independent State and the division of Cyprus, condemned those actions, declared them illegal and invalid and called for their withdrawal.
Instead of abiding by those resolutions, said Hadjichrysanthou, Turkey continues to wilfully flaunt international law by speeding ahead with its illegal schemes and actions in the fenced area of Varosha and undermining the stability in the eastern Mediterranean through its aggressive behaviour and rhetoric.
He reminded that speaking to young people in Turkey to mark the Youth and Sports Day, observed on 19 May, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stated that “Turkey was not limited to 780,000 square kilometres, but it was everywhere” and that that was the reason why it was taking steps in Palestine, Cyprus, the eastern Mediterranean and Iraq.
The Turkish President, said Hadjichrysanthou, also referred to his country’s illegal drilling activities in the area, confirmed the worrisome information that a Turkish drone base operated in the occupied part of Cyprus and reiterated that he would visit the latter on 20 July for the anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion, in order to “send the necessary messages to the whole world”.
In spite of all obstacles, the Cypriot diplomat assured “we remain committed to the envisioned form of settlement of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with political equality as defined in numerous Security Council resolutions”.
In that regard, he added, “we are encouraged by your statement of persistence and determination with regard to the efforts for the resumption of formal negotiations during the press conference held at the end of the Geneva five-plus-one informal meeting”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
A 5+1 Informal Meeting that took place in Geneva, on April 27-29, failed to find enough common ground to allow for the resumption of formal negotiations in relation to the settlement of the Cyprus problem.
UN Secretary – General, Antonio Guterres, has said that he will convene in the near future another meeting of the 5+1, the five plus the United Nations, again with the objective to move in the direction of reaching common ground to allow for formal negotiations to start.