CYPRUS - BRITISH-TURKISH ACCORD
The government of Cyprus has described as a negative development a
strategic partner****p agreement between the UK and Turkey and said it
will act to protect its national interests.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting today, Government Spokesman Vasilis
Palmas said that the Foreign Minister has made strong representations
to the British High Commissioner in Nicosia about the agreement, signed
by the prime ministers of Britain and Turkey.
The do***ent of the partner****p entertains a clearly partitionist
logic, since the main subject of its provisions relating to Cyprus is
the systematic promotion of separate relations of the Turkish Cypriot
secessionist entity in the occupied areas with the rest of the world,
Palmas pointed out.
Great Britain, said Palmas, is an EU partner, where the principle of
sincere cooperation and solidarity should be respected. He noted that
the London had failed to inform Nicosia of its intention to co-sign
with the Turkish government a political agreement, which partly
concerns vital interests for Cyprus.
It is the view of the government of Cyprus that this development is
contrary to the Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the UK and
Cyprus in 2005, to establish a Structured Dialogue between the two
governments, he added.
In addition, Palmas said that as a permanent member of the Security
Council, the UK has signed all relevant resolutions on Cyprus which
bind the country. Resolution 550 (1984), apart from the fact that it
condemns the secessionist actions in the occupied areas and proclaims
them illegal and invalid, calls on all states, not to recognise the
pur****ted state and not to facilitate or in any way assist this the
aforesaid secessionist entity.
In signing this agreement, he pointed out, Great Britain appears to be
in line with Turkeys policy on Cyprus, which as the Turkish President
has stated is one promoting two separate entities on the island.
With such actions, prospects for a solution to the Cyprus problem on
the basis of Security Council resolutions and the High Level Agreements
become even grimmer. These moves also undermine efforts for the
unconditional implementation of the July 8 process since they remove
every motive from the Turkish side to change its intransigent attitude,
Palmas stressed.
The government, its spokesman said, will act decisively and calmly to
protect its national interests through all available diplomatic and
legal means and, if necessary, it will review its long-standing
policies.
Once more we see Cyprus being sacrificed for the sake of foreign
interests, which have nothing to do with either the country itself, he
stressed.
Palmas also noted that Turkey and Great Britain are two of the four
states which co-signed the Treaty of Guarantee of the Republic of
Cyprus in 1960 with which Greece, Turkey and the UK guaranteed, the
independence and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus
and had undertaken the responsibility to prohibit any action which
would indirectly promote partition.
Palmas said Turkey invaded Cyprus and imposed, through violence, the
division of the country and the UK did not meet its obligations, while
it maintains military bases and facilities on the island, in accordance
with the Treaty of Guarantee which is governed by the principle of
reciprocity.
Commenting on the same issue in Greece, the Greek FM Dona Bakoyianni
expressed hope that there will be clarifications and corrections which
would help avoid harmful misunderstandings at a crucial stage for the
resumption of efforts to solve the question of Cyprus.
She recalled that there are numerous decisions, by the international
community, on the issue of the self-proclaimed Turkish Cypriot regime
in Turkish occupied Cyprus which leave no doubt and allow no
misconceptions about the status of this regime.
The partner****p agreement commits Britain and Turkey to take forward
work on ending what the Turkish Cypriots call isolation and to
encourage others in the international community to join them in their
efforts.
In the do***ent, London and Ankara say they will work within the UN,
the EU and bilaterally to promote direct commercial, economic,
political and cultural contacts between the UK, the EU and the Turkish
Cypriots.
They will also provide continued help for TRNC authorities/universities
in their attempts to engage with the Bologna process and will uphold
the right of representation of the Turkish Cypriots in the European
Parliament.
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