PETITION FOR THE RE-UNIFICATION OF THE REPUBLIC
OF CYPRUS AND ITS MEMBERSHIP BID TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
To:
• The President of the United States
• The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• The Secretary General of the United Nations
• The President of the Commission of the European Union
cc: Members of Parliaments of the world, and the Press
The Republic of Cyprus has been an independent state since 1960. Its right to
independence has been validated by the London-Zurich agreements and by the Treaty
of Guarantee of 1960.
The Republic of Cyprus has been without interruption a member of the United
Nations since 1960. The establishment of an independent Cypriot state was a
result of the Cypriot people's struggle for self-determination during the 1950's.
Eighty percent of the Cypriots are of Hellenic ancestry, while eighteen percent
are of Turkish.
On July 20 and August 14, 1974, the armed forces of the Republic of Turkey invaded
and occupied thirty seven percent of the territory belonging to the internationally
recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus. As a result of the dual Turkish
invasions of Cyprus in 1974, over 200,000 Greek Cypriots were ethnically cleansed
by the invading forces of the Republic of Turkey, and had to flee as refugees
in the southern part of the island. While more than 50,000 Turkish Cypriots
were forced un-willingly to move in the occupied area.
To date, there are still over 1,600 Cypriots missing. At the present time, 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 by immigrating abroad, due to harassment and hardships from the occupation forces and the illegal settlers.
The Cyprus issue today is in front of important crossroads: with the kind services of the United Nations and its Secretary General, an effort is made 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 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. The Republic of Cyprus is bidding to join at the next process of E.U.'s enlargement. It is important 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 undersigned present this petition to American President George W. Bush, the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the UN Secretary Kofi Anan, and the President of the Commission of the European Union Romano Prodi, as well as to members of Parliaments of the world. With this petition we urge you to support the respect for human rights, basic freedoms and international law by supporting the re-unification and territorial integrity of Cyprus.
With this petition we urge the major powers of the world to unconditionally support the Republic of Cyprus in its bid to enter the European Union. With this petition we urge the recipients to oppose threats and further acts of aggression by Turkish political and military authorities and "convince" them to respect the International and UN resolutions and Laws.
We the signatories of this petition believe it is time to put an end to the
occupation of Cyprus. To move towards a peaceful, workable, viable and long-lasting
solution to the Cyprus problem.