STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ASSOC. PROF. TURGAY AVCI

The speech delivered by the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozaku Marcoullis during an event organised at Dherinia is a proof of the fact that the decision adopted by the Greek Cypriot National Council in 1989 to the effect that a settlement on the Cyprus issue should be based on a unitary state, is still in force without any change. The Greek Cypriot Administration’s insistence to view the settlement of the Cyprus issue from this perspective as well as its policy of ‘osmosis’, once more reaffirms the fact that it is strictly committed to “Hellenizing” Cyprus. Having adopted the said goal, the Greek Cypriot Administration’s claim that it is ‘committed’ to the efforts for a settlement, is a mere attempt aimed at misleading the international community.

Owing to the forthcoming Greek Cypriot presidential elections scheduled to take place at the beginning of 2008, it is clear that Mrs. Marcoullis, who turned the Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry into an election bureau as a diligent advocate of Papadopoulos, will increasingly continue to her nationalist and fascist rhetoric. Mrs. Marcoullis’ remarks that Varosha should be returned to its so-called “lawful owners”, should also be considered within this framework.

The Greek Cypriot Administration’s linking of the issue of Varosha which should be taken up within the framework of the comprehensive negotiations, with the implementation of Direct Trade Regulation, which shall be a step towards lifting the unjust embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, is certainly unacceptable. Within this context, we shall definitely not allow issues such as Varosha which are the components of a comprehensive settlement, to be brought to the EU platform. Mrs. Marcoullis’ speech as well as the speech of parliamentarian Costas Papacostas on behalf of the Greek Cypriot President Papadopoulos during the said event, disclose that the Greek Cypriot side shall not hesitate to use the advantage of its unilateral EU membership against our state and the Republic of Turkey and continue its efforts to shift the Cyprus issue into the EU platform.

The hostile statements of the Greek Cypriot leadership which is disturbed by the progress achieved by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Mrs. Marcoullis diligent support lent to the Greek Cypriot Leader only serves to create tension between the two sides.

7 August 2007, Lefkoşa.