Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side are well aware of the position of the European Union in relation to the enclosed town of Varosha, a Commission spokesman told the Cyprus News Agency, commenting on the further opening of a beach in the enclosed area of Varosha as a step in the wrong direction.
Responding to a question at the noon press briefing in Brussels, Commission spokesman Stefan de Kearsmacker noted that the Commission is aware of these actions and is following developments with great concern.
"The Turkish government and the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community are fully aware of the EU's position on Varosha," the Commission representative responsible for regional policy and structural reforms underlined.
"We continue to be guided by the relevant UN resolutions on Varosha, which consider unacceptable any attempt to occupy any part of the town by persons other than its inhabitants, and we call for the transfer of the management of the area to the United Nations," he added.
He stressed that "no step should be taken in relation to Varosha that is not in line with these resolutions", underlining that "the opening of new parts of the beach or the preparation of the beach for the summer season as recently reported in the media is another step in the wrong direction".
"The EU stresses once again the need to avoid unilateral actions that violate international law, as well as to avoid new provocations that could increase tensions on the island and undermine ongoing efforts to find common ground between the parties towards a lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem in line with UN Security Council resolutions," it noted.
Asked to clarify what actions the EU can take in relation to this issue and Turkish interference in the internal affairs of the TC community in general, the spokesman said he could not add more than restating the position that actions that undermine UNSC resolutions are unacceptable.
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