Article by Chrysanthos Zannettos AKEL Political Bureau member and AKEL Famagusta District Secretary
Sunday 23 October 2022, “Haravgi” newspaper
The situation in Famagusta, two years after the opening of the enclosed area, has never been more tragic.
Unfortunately, the prolonged stalemate on the Cyprus problem since 2017 has further aggravated the already very bad situation on the issue of Famagusta and the creation of new fait accompli by Turkey must now be given. Two years after the illegal opening of part of the enclosed area of Famagusta by the occupying authorities, Turkey and its puppets here [in Cyprus] are preparing to impose new moves and new fait accompli in Famagusta, which are part of their wider plan to promote the two state “solution” in order to make the partition of our homeland and people permanent.
Today, Turkey is rubbing salt into the wounds of the lawful inhabitants of Famagusta by turning the city into a tourist attraction and planning its further opening and colonisation. The developments in Varosha, however, underline the urgent need to reverse the disastrous course that the Cyprus problem has taken and stress our country’s historic challenge to annul in practice the occupying power’s partitionist plans.
In addition to the responsibilities that Turkey evidently bears, there is no doubt that, unfortunately, the clumsy and erroneous handlings made by Nicos Anastasiades have also played a role as well. Worse still, the two DISY presidential candidates, namely Averof Neofytou and Nikos Christodoulides, who unfortunately showed a “criminal” inability to assess developments correctly, are also largely responsible for the current situation.
Averof Neophytou, on the one hand, stated that he was “not worried” [about Turkey’s threats], since he considered that there would be “no new provocative actions as far as Varosha is concerned”. The then Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, on the other hand, spoke of “communication tricks” and “slogans for internal consumption purposes” by the Turkish side.
So what should we do today?
In order to stop the slide downwards of the Cyprus problem to prevent the creation of new dangerous fait accompli and permanent partition, and to revive the hope for a solution, we must immediately resume substantive negotiations with the prospect of a successful outcome. To do this, however, the only option before us is to resume the talks from where they had remained at the Crans Montana talks, without any further backtracking or the submission of so-called “new ideas”. That is to say, negotiations on the basis of the 2014 Joint Declaration, the Guterres Framework of 30 June 2017 and the body of work of the convergences that had been reached, while any bridging proposals should only address the outstanding issues.
Such a development would also imply a return to the Map [on territory] withdrawn by the Turkish side, which, inter alia, provides for the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants under Greek Cypriot administration.
Therefore the only way out to save Varosha is to find an honorable compromise with the Turkish Cypriots on the basis of the solution of Bi-zonal, Bi-communal Federation with political equality as described by the Resolutions of the UN. A compromise that will re-establish conditions of peace, security and prosperity for all Cypriots. Famagusta can be the key to a solution of the Cyprus problem.
To achieve this, initiatives need to be taken by the Greek Cypriot side, which only one of the three main presidential candidates declares he is ready to undertake. A President who has the will for a solution of the Cyprus problem, who is consistent in his principles, who has credibility/authority among the international community, and who has the knowledge and ability to assess developments correctly, must therefore be at the helm of the state. And this is none other than Andreas Mavroyiannis.
