The President of Cyprus told the General Assembly today that his administration remains committed to a mutually-agreed reunification of the Mediterranean island and ending what he described as the โoccupation and illegal colonization of settlers by Turkeyโ in parts of Cyprus.
โWe seek a solution that reunifies the country and its people and creates conditions of lasting peace and security on the island,โ Demetris Christofias told the Assemblyโs annual general debate.
He said that direct negotiations between the leaders of the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots over the past three years had achieved โconvergencesโ on various aspects of the dispute, but โthe Turkish Cypriot side is retracting on the negotiating table, including from previously found convergences.โ
โThis change in the Turkish Cypriot leadershipโs stance feeds on recent negative and provocative policy of Turkey in the region,โ he added.
Mr. Christofias said Cyprusโ exploration and potential extraction of hydrocarbons from its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) had been met with threats from Turkey, and that Turkish naval ships had been engaged in manoeuvres in Cyprusโ EEZ, actions he called โprovocative and a real danger for further complication in the region.โ
He also accused Turkey of illegally concluding an โagreement with the illegal regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprusโ so it could carry out oil exploration in Cyprusโ EEZ.
โInstead of adopting a constructive stance in the negotiations towards a prompt solution to the Cyprus problem, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership are trying to create tension and illegal faits-accompli.
โAnkaraโs latest threats, directed against a EU [European Union] Member State, come at a time when Turkey seeks the opening of new chapters in its EU accession negotiation.โ
He pledged that he will continue to work to strengthen cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, stressing that rapprochement of the two communities is an integral part of his Governmentโs policy.