Since 1974, the northern territory of the
Republic of Cyprus has been occupied by the armed forces of
the Turkish Republic. In the aftermath of the Turkish invasions
of July 20 and August 14, 1974, over 200,000 Greek Cypriots
were ethnically cleansed from their homes and had to flee as
refugees to the southern part of the island, while more than
50,000 Turkish Cypriots were forced un-willingly to move in
the occupied area. Over 5,000 Cypriots were killed. Eighty percent
of Cypriots are of Hellenic descent, and Eighteen percent of
Cypriots are of Turkish.
The Turkish occupation forces are working
to make the occupation of Cyprus irreversible, by refusing to
abide to the UN resolutions, the international law, and the
decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Their intransigent
position is for legalising the fait accompli (Turkey is the
only state that recognizes the pseudo-state of the north), by
proposing a solution of two states and a loose con-federal status
between them, by threatening to unite the occupied territories
to Turkey, and by importing illegal settlers from Turkey who
eventually occupy homes and property belonging to Greek refugees.
At the same time native-born Turkish Cypriots in the occupied
north diminish in numbers, due to harassment and hardships.
The occupation of Cyprus is a direct violation
of the Treaty of Guarantee, which established Cyprus as an independent
Republic in 1960. Article A, Section 22 of the Treaty declares,
"It shall be recognised that the total or partial union
of Cyprus with any other State, or a separatist independence
for Cyprus, shall be excluded". In July 1998, the European
Court of Human Rights ordered the Turkish Republic to compensate
Greek Cypriot who's property has been seized by Turkish occupation
forces (Loizidou vs. Turkey), and directly challenged the occupation
of Cyprus as an act of violation of the International Law. In
addition, United Nations Resolutions have been consistent in
declaring the Turkish occupation of Cyprus illegal, and call
upon the speedy and total withdrawal of the occupation forces
and the illegal settlers.
The Cyprus issue today is in front of important
crossroads:
• On November 11, 2002 the United Nations Secretary General,
supported by the United States and Great Britain has put forward
a framework solution (Anan Plan) to re-unify Cyprus. This framework
has been later (December 2002) modified and offered to the representatives
of the two Cypriot Communities for consideration.
• On December 12, 2002 Cyprus application to join the European
Union (E.U.), was considered and accepted by the decision of
the E.U. summit in Copenhagen.
• Since December 2002, the genuine T/Cypriots have rallied in
thousands demanding the resignation of the Turkey-backed intransigent
Denktash regime, for the re-unification of the island, the finding
of a truly Federal solution that will make possible to the Turkish-Cypriots
to engage the E.U. in partnership with the Greek-Cypriots.
• The signature on April 2003 of the accession treaty of the Republic
of Cyprus to the E.U. by the European leaders has paved the way for its
final entry on May 1st 2004.
• The results of the so-called elections in the occupied northern area in
December 2003 (despite the participation in them of thousands of illegal
settlers) have shown that the majority of the T/Cypriots are for a peaceful
settlement, re-unification and the entry of a unified Cyprus to the E.U.
This new environment brings new dimensions
to the year long Cyprus problem, whose primary purpose is to
brake the Turkish intransigence and to find among the two island’s
communities a peaceful, viable, workable and long-lasting solution.
A re-unified Cyprus with a truly Federal structure that will
guarantee one international legal personality, one indivisible
sovereignty and one sole nationality is the solution sought;
this will reject groundless thoughts about two separate states
or a confederation. Such a solution is prescribed in the relevant
UN Resolutions, the High Level agreements between the two Cypriot
communities, and the Aqui Communitaire & rules of the European
Union. Cyprus membership of the E.U. offers the possibility
that this solution guarantees the respect of Human Rights and
basic freedoms for all the legal citizens of Cyprus and especially
to exercise in the whole of the Cyprus territory the rights
to property, movement and settlement.
We the signatories
of this petition:
• DEMAND an end to the occupation of Cyprus’ territories. We
EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT for a peaceful, workable, viable and long-lasting
solution to the Cyprus problem, the respect of Human Rights
& Freedoms.
• REQUEST CHANGES in the Anan plan, as we believe that this
plan tries to put forward a solution following the path of “the
middle road” between the positions of G/Cypriot side (victims
of the ongoing occupation) and that of the Mr. Denktash (who
represents the policies of the political-military circles of
Ankara, the perpetrators of the 29 year old invasion and occupation
of Cyprus).
• APPEAL to the T/Cypriots to continue their struggle in forging
an alternative partnership based on E.U. laws and the UN Cyprus
resolutions, instead of imperilling their EU aspirations by
acquiescing to the demands of Mr. Denktash.
• DEMAND that the E.U. take into consideration its own founding
principles and laws prior to entering into any accession talks
with the regime in Ankara.
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