The leader of the Turkish Cypriot community says in a statement that he submitted to President Nicos Anastasiades through the UN "comprehensive proposals for the disarmament of the island and the fight against illegal migration".
"As the Turkish Cypriot side, we presented today to the UN authorities our second comprehensive proposals for cooperation, which we conveyed to the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades through UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. On 1 July 2022, in addition to our proposal for cooperation in four important areas, I also submitted through the UN our comprehensive proposals for the demining of the island of Cyprus and the fight against irregular migration", he says.
"There are currently 29 (possible) suspected mined areas on the island of Cyprus, which are also included in the UN reports. As you will recall, as the Turkish Cypriot side, in 2014, 2015 and 2018 we submitted proposals for this objective (of mine clearance). In our first cooperation proposal, which we submitted today and which was prepared with the intensive efforts of our competent bodies, we conveyed the message that we are ready to clear the entire island of mines, starting from the buffer zone where there are three mined areas under the control of the Greek Cypriot side and one under our control in the buffer zone, he added. To this end, Tatar said, I made it clear to the Greek Cypriot leader that our personnel, whom we have authorized to work simultaneously and on the basis of proportionality through a mechanism to be established under the auspices of the UN peacekeeping force, on the basis of equality and with the participation of an equal number of authorized personnel, are ready. I also requested the support of the UN Secretary General to override the Greek Cypriot side's resistance to cooperation on such an important issue that poses a threat to both the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot people."
As a second area of cooperation, "I proposed to jointly address the issue of irregular migration," Tatar said, adding that he presented "our comprehensive proposal for cooperation to combat irregular migration, through a cooperation mechanism under the auspices of the United Nations. What we particularly emphasize in this proposal is that we will work in a way that does not compromise the rights of asylum seekers protected by international conventions."
Finally, the statement said, "these areas of cooperation involve both sides and will provide tangible benefits to both peoples based on the win-win principle."
As he argues, with the second set of proposals he presented, "I proved once again that the Turkish Cypriot side is sincerely ready to cooperate with the Greek Cypriot side. I stressed that the positive approach of the Greek Cypriot leadership to these proposals and our cooperation will contribute to the political process in terms of preparing a positive basis (for the talks). So far I have proposed cooperation in six important areas that will bring tangible benefits to both sides and contribute to the stability of our region. If the Greek Cypriot side is ready, we are sincerely ready to cooperate in these important areas."
Source: CNA
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