Akıncı: “The negotiations will lose their meaning if no steps are taken on enosis issue”
14 February, 2017Savvidu accused Greek Cypriot police with “racism”
15 February, 2017Speaker of the TRNC Legislative Assembly Sibel Siber has made a statement strongly condemning the move by Greek Cypriot side to bring forward the Enosis issue while efforts to solve the Cyprus issue are ongoing, and requested the UN to launch an initiative for the decision to be retracted by the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives.
A Joint Declaration was prepared with the support of all political parties represented in the TRNC Assembly as well as independent deputies.
Turkish Cypriot politicians from all political groups have strongly criticised the decision taken by the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives to introduce the 1950 ‘Enosis Day’ in schools in South Cyprus.
The declaration stated that the Turkish Cypriot people, despite having lived through the bitter experiences of the past, have always supported a settlement that will ensure that these experiences are not relived. “The Turkish Cypriot people voted in favour of the Annan Plan and has since kept its will for a settlement alive”.
The TRNC Legislative Assembly, in line with the people’s will, has continually supported a settlement, adopting numerous resolutions in support of a solution on the basis of UN parameters. Most recently, the Assembly supported the 11th of February 2014 Joint Declaration as signed by both leaders.
This decision by the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives to mark the 1950 Enosis Plebiscite at Greek Cypriot schools is in direct contradiction to the 11th of February 2014 Joint Declaration as well fundamentally undermining the ongoing Cyprus negotiations process.
“It must be known that this decision has been perceived as an act of disrespect to the main philosophy of the negotiations, has deepened Turkish Cypriot peoples’ mistrust and raised doubts regarding the Greek Cypriot Side’s intention and goodwill towards reaching a settlement on the basis of UN parameters” the declaration read.
The Joint Declaration also condemned the decision in the presence of the UN, urging it to launch an initiative to persuade the Greek Cypriot side to retract the decision, which it described as a historic mistake that could have “irreversible consequences”.