He noted the culmination of Ankara's aggressive claims, while referring to efforts to resume negotiations, he said that Turkey is pursuing an intransigent policy with the main aim of controlling the entire island. Turkey's demand for a two-state solution falls into the category of aspirations to achieve the impossible, he said. On the issue of the missing persons, he said that "Turkey's responsibilities are enormous."
Referring to the desired solution to the Cyprus problem, he referred to a solution "without foreign guarantees and guarantee rights, a solution that turns Cyprus into a normal state that enjoys all the rights stemming from international law as well as its protection," he said. Fotiou, who represented the Cyprus Government at the conference.
He referred to the efforts that have been made to hold talks that have come to nothing, as Turkey is pursuing an intransigent policy whose main aim is to impose its control over the whole island.
"Every time the issue of resuming the negotiation process is raised, Turkey and its entrenched regime in the occupied territories demand that we recognize the so-called sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots and the acceptance of the two separate states solution, which not only deviate from the parameters of the UN and the mandate of the Secretary General, but fall into the latter category of aspirations to achieve the impossible, as President Anastasiades has typically noted." The Commissioner also stressed that Turkey has not only escalated its aggressive claims but also accuses Greece of an expansionist policy in the Aegean Sea in an attempt to counter international criticism against its own self-evident aspirations for a Blue Homeland. Moreover, he said, it massively violates Greece's sovereign rights with its illegal flights and threatens to invade Syrian territory in addition to its expansionist ambitions regarding Libya and Iraq.
Mr. Fotiou recalled the letter recently sent by President Anastasiades to Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to discuss confidence-building measures, reduce tension and resume negotiations for a Cyprus solution.
"In the context of our side's efforts to find a way out of the deadlock of the negative positions and approaches of the Turkish side, this letter and President Anastasiades' proposals represent another attempt to resume negotiations in the interest of both communities, as well as peace and stability in the region," he said.
He also said that the Turkish side, through its occupation leader Ersin Tatar, rejected this initiative of President Anastasiades, once again putting forward the unacceptable positions of the Turkish side. Fotiou referred to the important teleconference on 9 May, which was attended by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Cyprus' Ioannis Kasoulides, Greece's Nikos Dendias and Israel's Yair Lapid. A meeting in which, he noted, all 4 committed themselves to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, they decided to intensify their cooperation in the fields of energy, economy, climate change, response to natural disasters and the fight against terrorism. "The families of the missing persons continue, all these years, to carry on their shoulders the heavy cross of martyrdom for the disappearance of their loved ones. Unfortunately, we are still confronted with the unacceptable behaviour of Turkey, which not only does not cooperate to the extent that it should have done in determining the fate of all the missing persons, but, quite provocatively and unacceptably, continues to put up obstacles, essentially aiming to conceal its great guilt. It refuses to provide information from the Turkish army's archives on the mass graves of our own people. It refuses to give information about the other great war crime it committed, that of moving bones from their original burial sites. Turkey's responsibilities are enormous," he said."
Fotiou called on the international community, the European Union, the United States and other countries, even 48 years later, to become more aware and to pressure Turkey to cooperate in resolving a thoroughly humanitarian issue.
Expatriate Hellenism, the welfare of the communities, the promotion of the rights of Cypriot Hellenism and the promotion of Cyprus was another issue raised by the Commissioner for the Presidency. As he underlined, cooperation with the Greek Government is valuable, as the expatriate Hellenism is one and together Cypriot and Greek organisations promote actions to exploit the potential of Hellenism in order to promote the wider interests.
"The top priority of our strategy is the encouragement and active participation of the expatriate youth, which is the future of our diaspora. By investing in the younger generation we are investing in the future of our diaspora. It is in this context that through specific and innovative actions we try to keep young people closer, so that they get to know their culture, history, language, traditions and in general their roots."
Fotiou announced an innovative project, the creation of an Internet Platform for Cypriots in the Diaspora.
"It is important both for expatriate Greeks in the US and globally. This is the first time that such an effort is taking place. The platform will consist of two sub-platforms, the Diaspora Cypriots Inventory and Learn Your Roots," he said.
He said that the Diaspora Cypriots Inventory aims not only to provide a quantitative record of our Diaspora Cypriots, but more importantly a qualitative record. "Our goal is to know every last Greek on earth. With the creation of the Registry of Cypriots of the Diaspora, we will get to know, among others, the remarkable Cypriot Scientists, Academics, Entrepreneurs, as well as other specialists who excel abroad. These people are the best ambassadors of our Cyprus abroad," Fotiou noted.
The President of the Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America, Kyriakos Papastylianou, also referred to the issue of the registration of Cypriots in the USA, which has already begun and needs a further boost. "There are many Greek Cypriots all over the country that we do not know," he said, stressing that one of the most important priorities of the Federation is the effort to create new chapters throughout the country where there are Cypriots.
"And not only Cypriots, but also friends of Cyprus, friends of Hellenism to be able to participate in these chapters," he added.
The conference was attended by delegates from all the Federation's member associations from across the country and its proceedings focused, beyond the Cyprus issue, on issues of concern to the organization and the Greek Cypriot community in the U.S.
Source: CNA
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