The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the adoption of a Resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that calls for the immediate return of the fenced off city of Varosha to its lawful residents and notes that the Resolution contains important messages in relation to the solution of the Cyprus issue, especially now, days before the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation.
The Ministry notes that the Resolution, stresses that Turkey’s ongoing illegal actions, including the partial “opening” of the fenced off city, constitute serious violations of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which undermine the prospects of achieving a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue.
The Ministry expresses its appreciation for the support of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to the efforts of the UN Secretary General to resume the negotiation process and for the call to Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to abandon the “two states” policy and to return to the negotiating table to achieve a comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue within the framework of the Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulates the Cypriot Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for its contribution to the adoption of the Resolution, “which includes important messages in relation to the solution of the Cyprus issue, especially now, just before the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation.”
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.
