President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday called on his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan to work together to send a message of peace for both Cyprus and Turkey.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, he said: “Mr Erdogan, let us work together, guided by a vision of peace. Let us build a brighter future for our countries, through dialogue, and respect of international legality.”
Commenting on the aggressions that Cyprus has witnessed over the years, including the opening of Varosha, the consistent taunting of maritime vessels in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and most recently the attack on UN peacekeepers in the buffer zone near Pyla, Christodoulides reiterated his call for negotiations to begin on the Cyprus problem.
“That is why the resumption of negotiations, firmly anchored on the agreed framework, is my absolute priority. The current status quo cannot be the future of Cyprus. It cannot be the future for Cypriots,” he said.
“Working towards peace in Cyprus is my absolute priority, and I want to take this opportunity to also send a personal message to President Erdogan,” Christodoulides said.
“There is not, and there will never be another basis for settlement of the Cyprus question other than that dictated by the United Nations Security Council resolutions. Illegality stemming from invasion, aggression and use of force cannot be recognised.”
He added that as president he believes in peaceful coexistence, despite growing up in a divided country, because as he said he also grew up in a country filled with hope of reunification, with stories of all Cypriots living together in peace.
In his speech a day ago, Erdogan said that “the transformation of the Eastern Mediterranean into an area where peace, prosperity and stability will prevail is possible only with respect for rights and laws by all parties”.
He went on to claim that in the past 60 years, “the Turkish Cypriot side has always made sincere efforts to find a fair, permanent and sustainable solution,” asserting that a federation-based solution is no longer viable.
“We call on the international community to accept this and to recognise the independence of the ‘TRNC’ and to establish diplomatic, political and economic ties with this country,” he said.
As for the UN, the Turkish president said the recent incidents in Pyla were a manifestation of the void in institutional structure [OF THE UN] that did not inspire justice and trust.
Erdogan also said Turkey expects Unficyp “to comply with the neutrality it is obliged to demonstrate.
“We do not want this force, whose reputation has already been damaged, to face a new loss of reputation in Cyprus,” he said.
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