Cyprus

I congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. I express the support of the Cypriot delegation, and I wish you every success in fulfilling your duties. Over the past six months we have witnessed historic changes in the wider region of the Middle East and North Africa, a region which is very close to Cyprus. A popular movement has developed in this region with the aim of implementing fundamental democratic reforms. The reforms are a sovereign affair for the peoples. We hope that they are achieved peacefully, without bloodshed and for the benefit of the peoples themselves, through political dialogue and with the support of the international community. We, the international community, should offer this support while respecting the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Member States of the United Nations. The Republic of Cyprus has experienced violence, and we still suffer from its consequences. Cyprus is still suffering the effects of the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974 and the ongoing occupation. The Cyprus problem is first and foremost a problem of invasion and occupation and the violation of international law and of the human rights of Cypriot citizens. Since the Turkish invasion in 1974, our goal has been a peaceful resolution of the problem through negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities under the auspices of the Secretary-General and on the basis of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on Cyprus. Since September 2008, we have undertaken a renewed effort to solve the Cyprus problem, under the auspices of the United Nations, through direct negotiations between the leaders of the two communities, upon our initiative. This effort is focused on the evolution of the unitary State into a federal one, with two federated units with political equality as defined in relevant Security Council resolutions — one State, with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality. This basis was reaffirmed by the leaders of the two communities in 2008, when they agreed on the resumption of negotiations. 11-50865 2 At the same time, the negotiating process, under the auspices of the United Nations, was agreed. The negotiations are Cypriot-led and Cypriot-owned, as was agreed with the Secretary-General, excluding any form of arbitration or artificial time frames. This was agreed, bearing in mind recent negative experiences that resulted from unsuccessful attempts to solve the problem. We aim to achieve a mutually agreed solution, terminating the occupation and the illegal colonization by Turkey with settlers in the occupied part of Cyprus. We seek a solution that reunifies the country and its people and creates conditions of lasting peace and security on the island. An important aspect of the Cyprus problem, of a humanitarian nature, is the issue of missing persons. This issue must be settled regardless of the developments in the negotiations. Turkey must fulfil its obligations, which stem from the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, to allow exhumations in military areas and open the archives of its army and of other services, in order to determine the fate of the missing persons. During the first two years of direct negotiations between the leaders of the two communities, convergences have been reached on various aspects of the Cyprus problem. I regret to note that, lately in particular, the Turkish Cypriot side is backtracking, even from convergences that had been found. This change in the stance of the Turkish Cypriot leadership draws on the recent negative and provocative policy of Turkey in the region. In recent years, the Republic of Cyprus has started a process for the exploration and potential extraction of hydrocarbons within its exclusive economic zone. This was preceded by agreements to delimit the exclusive economic zone with neighbouring countries, always within the framework of international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the Republic of Cyprus has ratified. We anticipate that this effort will contribute to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly for Europe, and of course for the shared benefit of our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike. We believe that the possible discovery and extraction of hydrocarbons will constitute yet another strong motive for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to expedite a just, functional and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, so that both communities can enjoy the natural wealth of our country in conditions of peace, security and prosperity. I wish to reassure our Turkish Cypriot compatriots that, regardless of the circumstances, they would benefit from the possible discovery and extraction of hydrocarbons. Unfortunately, the effort of the Republic of Cyprus to exercise its sovereign right to exploit its marine wealth is met by threats by Turkey against Cyprus. Turkish naval manoeuvres in the region of Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone, where explorations are being carried out, are provocative and constitute a real danger of further complications in the region. At the same time, Turkey has continued its illegal actions by concluding an agreement with the illegal regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus in order to pursue exploration within the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus. From this rostrum, I wish to condemn that illegal act, which constitutes a provocation not only for the Republic of Cyprus but for the entire international community. Instead of adopting a constructive stance in the negotiations for a speedy solution to the Cyprus problem, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership are trying to create tension and new, illegal faits accomplis. Ankara’s latest threats directed at a European Union (EU) member State come at a time when Turkey is seeking to open new chapters in its EU accession negotiations. We wish to express our gratitude to the permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council, and to the European Union, for the clear position they have taken in defending the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus. We call on the Security Council, the Secretariat and the United Nations in general to impress upon the Turkish leadership that any threat to or violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, or any continuing violation of international and European law, will not be tolerated. We are fully committed to continuing to work towards a solution of the Cyprus problem, within the agreed framework and on the basis of the agreed process, as soon as possible. Considering that it is first and foremost the Cypriot people who are suffering from the continuing occupation, it is only natural for us to demonstrate goodwill and exert all our efforts to reach a just, viable and functional solution to the 3 11-50865 Cyprus problem and for the reunification of the State and our people. We will continue to work to strengthen cooperation and trust between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. A rapprochement of the two communities is integral to our policy. We are continuing with our initiatives aimed at creating the conditions conducive to a solution. We recall our proposal for the restitution of Famagusta — a European city, uninhabited since 1974 as a result of the Turkish occupation — to its lawful inhabitants, under United Nations administration. Our proposal also includes the use of the city’s port by Turkish Cypriots under EU supervision. The implementation of this proposal will significantly boost negotiations and increase trust between the two communities; that will also lead to the unfreezing of negotiations chapters in Turkey’s EU accession process. We recall that the handover of the uninhabited area of Famagusta to United Nations administration, and the return of its lawful inhabitants, is called for in Security Council resolution 550 (1984), which Turkey refuses to implement. We would like to express our gratitude to the United Nations, under whose auspices the talks between the leaders of the two communities are being carried out. We thank the Security Council and the Secretary-General himself for his good offices. It is to the Secretary-General’s credit that during his recent meetings with the leaders of the two communities he persistently sought reaffirmation of the basis for the negotiations from both sides. He has referred specifically to Security Council resolution 1251 (1999), which provides that the solution to the Cyprus problem shall be a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as defined in the Security Council resolutions: a State with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality, excluding any form of union, in whole or in part, with any other country as well as any form of partition or secession. That is the basis that the United Nations continues to support. We are also grateful that the Secretary-General has asked for the reaffirmation of the convergences that were previously agreed on in the framework of the talks. As I have mentioned, the Turkish Cypriot leader has unfortunately retreated from previous agreements of fundamental importance. We believe that the only way to move forward and reach a solution as soon as possible is by upholding the commitments that both sides have undertaken in the presence of the Secretary- General. Negotiations should be carried out on a clear basis and without backtracking. The long-standing dispute in the Middle East is now characterized by frozen negotiations. It is vitally important that the peace process be resumed on the basis of the principles established by the international community in its resolutions. Cyprus supports the resumption of negotiations and calls on both sides to engage with honesty and goodwill, without creating new faits accomplis. Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve a peaceful, stable and secure future within a framework of two independent States. We maintain our principled position for a free and independent Palestinian State, next to the State of Israel, within the 1967 borders. It has been 10 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center here in New York. Cyprus continues to support the collective efforts of the international community, based on international law, to eliminate international terrorism. We support the implementation of the necessary measures, including the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Most countries in the world are still in the grip of the global financial crisis. This crisis proves that a new model of growth must prevail, focused on reducing social inequalities, eradicating poverty and safeguarding the rights of workers and all other people. Special emphasis must be given to the fairer distribution of social goods, such as health and education, and to ending the market’s impunity and lack of regulation. Emphasis must also be given to dealing with social repercussions, such as unemployment, delinquency, crime and social marginalization — problems that cause social tensions and conflicts in a number of countries in Europe and the world. There can be no doubt that building prosperity and global stability on solid foundations cannot be accomplished without protecting the environment and our planet and promoting the sustainable use of its resources. In conclusion, I wish to stress that there is no way to deal with the challenges facing humankind today 11-50865 4 other than collective action. We will succeed only if we realize that our future must be characterized by mutual respect, the fairer distribution and redistribution of global wealth, social progress and equality, and the prevalence of international law and human rights.