The secretary general of the Turkish Left Movement, Abdullah Korkmazhan and United Cyprus Party (BKP) leader Izzet Izzan expressed their support for the proposal to return Varosha and open the occupied Famagusta port and illegal airport.
Mr. Korkmazhan said that the proposal to return Varosha to its rightful owners should be accepted as part of confidence-building measures in exchange for the opening of the "airport" in occupied Tybos and the occupied port in Famagusta.
A report in Kipris Postasi, according to the Press and Information Office, said that, in a written statement, Korkmazhan criticized Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who rejected the proposal by claiming sovereign equality.
"The return of Varosha with the simultaneous opening of the Famagusta port and Ercan airport will contribute to the process of the comprehensive settlement and the development of inter-communal relations, while we will have the opportunity for direct trade and direct transport," he said, adding that it will remove obstacles to the development of tourism and other service sectors.
Most importantly, he added, with such a confidence-building measure, the inter-community federal culture and the development of cooperation between the communities will gain momentum.
Korkmazhan expressed the view that the rejection of such a comprehensive major proposal is the greatest evil done against the Turkish Cypriot community and described Tatar's policy on Varosha and the two-state issue as "empty patriotism".
He expressed the view that a policy on the Cyprus problem contrary to the UN Security Council resolutions is nothing but an "illusion" and noted that Tatar's policy of no solution is imprisoning the Turkish Cypriot community in deadlock and uncertainty.
Korkmazhan concluded by calling for the implementation of this proposal in the framework of confidence-building measures and calling for the resumption of the negotiation process towards a federation on the basis of the UN parameters.
Izzet Izzan called for the proposals including the opening of the illegal Tympos airport and the port of occupied Famagusta in exchange for the return of Varosha, called Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) by the Greek Cypriot side, to be discussed seriously.
In a written statement, the BKP said Izjian said that "President Ersin Tatar's rejection of the proposals before they were even tabled and his statement that he will not sit at the table for talks without the recognition of the two states prove his dichotomous will".
Referring to the statements of the "chairman" of the "bakufi administration" that Varosha is property belonging exclusively to the EBKAF, Izzan said that these statements are out of touch with reality and are an attempt to mislead the "people" who know the reality.
"The acceptance of the Vacufi Administration as a party involved in the applications and cases at the Real Estate Commission is part of the same scenario," Izzan said, stressing that "we are facing a serious exploitation."
Source: CNA
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