President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides has called on the President of Turkey to give the green light for substantive negotiations within the UN-agreed framework, stressing that division will not be accepted.
Addressing on Wednesday the 81st Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, in New York, the President of Cyprus expressed his full commitment to achieving a comprehensive settlement, saying that he is ready to resume negotiations from where they were left off in 2017, building on the substantial work already achieved, within the agreed United Nations framework.
“I listened very carefully to the speech of President Erdogan yesterday: references to international law, to the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, to illegal occupation, to the drama of refugees. Yet, in relation to Cyprus, Turkey is doing exactly the opposite. Hypocrisy of the highest form” he stressed.
President Erdogan, the Cypriot President noted, “also quoted extensively from the UN Charter. But politicians are judged not by their words but by their deeds. And if Mr. Erdogan, wants to quote from the Charter, he must first apply the Charter.”
The UN Security Council, he continued, “has established the framework for the solution of the Cyprus problem. That framework, of a Bizonal Bicommunal Federation with political equality remains the only basis, on which a comprehensive settlement must be reached”.
The President expressed once again his full commitment to achieving a functional and viable solution.
“I am ready to resume negotiations from where they were left off in 2017, building on the substantial work already achieved. The common ground is there: the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, international law, and the laws, values, and principles of the European Union.”
What is now required, he stressed, is political will by all parties. “A genuine willingness to return to meaningful negotiations. To engage seriously. To build on the body of work already achieved. And to reach a settlement that reunifies our country and our people”.
A settlement, he continued, that allows Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, and Latins, to live together in peace, security and prosperity.
“On my side, let me repeat it, I am fully committed. Because division will not be accepted. This cannot and will not be the future for my country and my people. Ever. Our determination to reunify our island is firm”, he underlined.
I therefore, he added, “call on my Turkish Cypriot compatriots to perceive our future together as the opportunity for prosperity. And I call on President Erdogan to give the green light for substantive negotiations within the UN-agreed framework.”
In these times of transformation, the President noted, the credibility of the UN must be safeguarded.
“And credibility requires consistency in the application of international law. For my country, Cyprus, this is not an abstract principle. It is a painful, existential reality.”
Fifty-two years have passed, the President said, since the illegal Turkish invasion of Cyprus. An act of aggression, violating the core principles of the UN Charter.
“An ongoing, flagrant violation of international law, with more than a third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus remaining under Turkish occupation. For fifty-two years, the tens of thousands of displaced and their descendants are prevented from returning to their homes.”
For fifty-two years, he added, “Varosha remains sealed off, with Turkey still in defiance of its clear and very specific obligations set out in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. For fifty-two years, we are experiencing violations of fundamental human rights; the destruction of religious and cultural heritage; and the organized transfer of settlers amounting to demographic change.”
Pain and immense suffering, he added, are the daily reality of the relatives of the missing persons, that to this day are demanding answers as to the fate of their loved ones.
“And for fifty-two years, the principles at stake have remained the same. Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity are not rhetorical vehicles. Nor are they to be applied selectively, depending on who the perpetrator is.”
These principles, President Christodoulides stressed, do not become less important with the passage of time, nor do the Resolutions of this Organization.
“UN Resolutions cannot be upheld in one case and fully disregarded in another. And the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a state cannot depend on its size, its power or the passage of time. And this is not only a question for Cyprus. It goes to the credibility of the international system itself” he underlined.
Referring to Cyprus’ role, he said that following the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the devastating humanitarian situation in Gaza, Cyprus, has put forward the Amalthea Maritime Humanitarian Corridor.
“Cyprus could offer something specific: its geographical position, its infrastructure, its excellent relationships with all countries in the region and the will to engage with international partners. Through cooperation, including with the UN2720 Mechanism, that idea became a proposal, and evolved into a functioning humanitarian route. One that keeps delivering as we speak” he pointed out.
Cyprus, he added, has also played a constructive role in times of emergency, noting that in the last three years alone, we helped evacuate thousands of citizens from 70 different countries.
“And through CyprusAid, we have provided humanitarian assistance to countries facing natural disasters” he added.
Moreover, he referred to Cyprus’ Regional Initiative on Climate Change, the aim of which is to bring together countries of our region, thus strengthening our collective capacity for adaptation, mitigation and resilience, as well as to the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station and the Cyprus Center for Land, Open Seas and Port Security, (CYCLOPS) jointly created with the United States. “In its four years of operation, it has provided specialized training to thousands of government officials from more than 50 countries, from the Middle East, Africa, and Europe” he said.
Referring to the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU that wrapped up in June, he said that the ability to bring different interests together was also at the heart of the Presidency. “For six months, a country of fewer than one million people, assumed the responsibility of steering the work of a Union of four hundred and fifty million European citizens.”
“Cyprus proved to be an active and responsible party of the international community. A contributor in crisis management, an actor in humanitarian assistance, a proponent of regional synergies and a defender of the protection of human rights and multilateralism” he stressed.
Saying that UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, approaches the completion of a decade leading this Organization, he said that “Cyprus wishes to acknowledge his leadership during a period of extraordinary global developments, his steadfast commitment to multilateralism and his efforts to strengthen and reform the UN.”
“Cyprus believes in a United Nations that protects the principles of its Charter and has the capacity to act upon them. We believe in a Multilateral System in which every state has both rights and responsibilities. And we believe that small-sized states have a particular role to play: Not on the margins of international affairs but as active participants in shaping our common future” the President continued.
For the Republic of Cyprus, he pointed out, that means defending the principles on which we depend, contributing to the institutions in which we believe, building partnerships for the common good, taking initiatives to create useful synergies, and acting responsibly where we can affect change.
“Despite the challenges because of the Turkish occupation, we remain resilient and steadfast in our faith in the multilateral system” he concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.