Cyprus House of Representatives President Yiannakis Omirou has said that the basic principles of a solution of the Cyprus problem should be defended.
According to an official press release, he was speaking, on Sunday, in an annual memorial service in honour of EOKA hero Michael Ftoxos, in the village of Pano Lefkara, in Larnaca District. EOKA was the organization of Cypriot fighters who led the 1955-59 anti-colonial struggle.
Omirou pointed out that “it is our duty to remain constant in defending the basic principles of a solution of the Cyprus problem”.
He said that this may be achieved through the undertaking of initiatives on our side, in full coordination with Greece and after having built national unity.
Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Previous UN-led efforts to reunite the island have failed. A new effort has begun recently after the leader of the two communities, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, agreed on a joint declaration on February 11 this year outlining the main principles on which an eventual solution will be based.
Omirou expressed the point of view that in recent months is evident that an effort to use the current economic crisis to impose a solution οn Cyprus is underway. International press news items, statements and articles of political actors in Europe and the States as well as comments by Turkish officials lead to the belief that Cyprus will undergo tremendous pressure, he said.
Omirou further referred to the presence of a Turkish seismographic vessel “Barbaros” within the Republic’s EEZ. He called on everyone who is interested in the security and stability of the region to intervene in a decisive manner and to tell Turkey that it can no longer continue to be a troublemaker and to violate international law.
He criticized the February 11 agreement, noting that Turkey uses different definitions of its wording and that it does not contain references to important issues such as the end of occupation, security, ousting illegal Turkish settlers from Cyprus, the return of refugees and the property aspect of the solution.
It is our duty, he said, to discuss as priority issues during talks the withdrawal of Turkish troops, the removal of settlers, the elimination of anachronistic guarantees, the safeguarding of human rights and freedoms and the unity of territory, state, people, institutions and economy.
If the Turkish side’s stand in these important issues is positive then reasonable concerns over the text of the joint declaration will be allayed, he noted