- Cyprus : Gas spoils to be shared before a settlement
- Greece : Our View: Troika stance condemning Greece to fall into anarchy
- Cyprus : Turk naval exercises a real danger in the region
- accident : UK plane lands on wrong runway in Paphos
- culture : Blast from the future: imagining the news in a reunified Cyprus...
- 2012 : Commerce Minister, EU energy head discuss post Mari energy...
- Argentina : Argentine football great Maradona in Limassol
- church : Church ‘cutting down on expenses’
- Cancer : Government to tackle cancer treatment shortcomings
- Cyprus : Palaeontology event to explore Cypriot prehistory
Turk naval exercises a real danger in the region
Related content
- PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias told world leaders gathered in New York yesterday that Cyprus is committed to a settlement in spite of Turkish provocations in the eastern Mediterranean and despite of Turkish Cypriot backtracking in peace talks.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Christofias condemned Turkey’s “illegal act” of concluding an agreement delineating its maritime borders with the breakaway north, which is not recognized internationally. He called the act “a provocation, not only for the Republic of Cyprus but also for the entire international community.”
Referring to Turkish naval-and-air exercises taking place this week in international waters close to Cyprus, Christofias said the “Turkish naval manoeuvres in the region of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) pose a real danger for further complications in the region.”
“Unfortunately,” he noted, “the effort of the Republic of Cyprus to exercise its sovereign right for exploitation of its marine wealth is met by threats of Turkey against Cyprus.”
The President went on to say the possible discovery and extraction of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ EEZ would motivate the two communities into expediting a solution to the Cyprus problem, “so that both communities can enjoy the natural wealth of our country in conditions of peace, security and prosperity.”
He noted that Turkish Cypriots would share in the country’s wealth irrespective of a settlement: “I wish to reassure our Turkish Cypriot compatriots that regardless of the circumstances, they will benefit from the possible discovery and extraction of hydrocarbons.”
Christofias said Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, instead of adopting a constructive stance in ongoing peace talks, were “trying to create tension and new illegal faits-accomplis.”
He called on the UN Security Council to "impress upon the Turkish leadership that any threat to or violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, or any continuing violation of international and European law, will not be tolerated.”
On peace talks aimed at reunifying the island, Christofias spoke of convergences achieved during the first two years of direct negotiations between the two communities, but regretted that “lately in particular…the Turkish Cypriot side is backtracking even from previously found convergences. This change in the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s stance draws on the recent negative and provocative policy of Turkey in the region.”
The President reiterated his offer for the restitution of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants under UN administration. The proposal includes the use of the city’s port by the Turkish Cypriots under EU supervision.
Implementation of this proposal would significantly “boost the negotiations and increase trust between the two communities” and would lead to the unfreezing of negotiating chapters in Turkey’s EU accession process, he said.
Noting that it has been 10 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center, Christofias said Cyprus continued to support efforts to eliminate international terrorism, such as the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
