A letter by an EU official on behalf of the President of the European Council, addressed to the Board of British Cypriots, has reiterated a call for Turkey to abide by international law and fully respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.
The letter is addressed to Marie Nicholsby, a member of the diaspora organisation, who had written to EU leaders with concerns about Turkey’s provocations.
The response by Brussels states that the EU shares the serious concerns over developments as regards the fenced-off area of Varosha. It points to relevant statements by the EU High Representative Josep Borrell and to the condemnation by the European Council of Turkey’s unilateral steps in Varosha, as well as to the Council’s call for the full respect of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The letter also notes that as regards the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, “the EU underscored that pursuing dialogue in good faith, and abstaining from unilateral actions against the EU interests, violating international law and the sovereign rights of EU Member States are absolute requirements for a stable and secure environment in the region and a cooperative relationship between EU and Turkey.”
It adds that the EU leaders have underlined that, provided that the current de-escalation is sustained and that Turkey engages constructively, and subject to the established conditionalities set out in previous European Council conclusions, in order to further strengthen the recent more positive dynamic, the EU is ready to engage with Turkey in a “phased, proportionate and reversible manner” to enhance cooperation in a number of areas of common interest.
“The European Union fully supports the resumption of a settlement process under UN auspices as soon as possible, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded,” the letter goes on to say, and concludes with an expression of readiness to provide whatever assistance both Cypriot parties and the UN would find most useful.