Statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of UNSC extension of UNFICYP
30 July, 2021President Ersin Tatar evaluated the opening of closed Maraş: “Pressures and threats cannot intimidate us”
2 August, 2021Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said, “The EU has voluntarily and consciously been a party to the deadlock, by including the Greek Cypriot part of the island which said ‘no’ to a solution.
In his statement to an AA correspondent, Oktay emphasised that the closed city Maraş is in TRNC territory and that the process of gradually coming to life will make important contributions to the region as well as to everyone on the island.
“However, the EU has unfortunately turned its back on the facts and the common good in the Maraş issue, as it also has on the two-sovereign State solution.” Oktay said, adding: “We have never heard the European Union express deep concern about the dramas and humanitarian crises in the Mediterranean and the Aegean or say ‘never’ to the escalating racism and anti-Islamism across Europe. However, when it comes to the equal rights, equity and sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot people, they can speak very recklessly and insensitively.”
“The Greek Cypriots and Greece have been rewarded every time, despite their reneging on all their promises, avoiding the table, violating the agreements and all kinds of spoilers that ignore the Turkish society, while the Turkish Cypriots have paid the price. Neither deep concerns nor veiled threats will prevent Turkey from being on the side of the Turkish Cypriots. Everyone should know that there is no turning back now. We will continue to support the TRNC’s determination to open Maraş and the two-state solution without backing down,” he further stated.
Noting that the statement made by the UN Security Council (UNSC) about the second phase of the Varosha reopening was a complete disappointment and that it was obvious that the international community was taken hostage by Greece and the Greek Cypriot side, Oktay continued as follows: “We completely reject the statements that are incompatible with the facts about the island and based on unfounded allegations, not only the UN Security Council but also the stance of some other countries that have expressed an opinion on the issue. This effort of those who took the unfounded allegations made as a result of the black propaganda of the Greek administration and Greece, who wanted to put the process in a deadlock from the very beginning as political material for themselves, is in vain.”
“Since Varosha will be opened in accordance with international law and property rights, the ‘transfer of the region to the UN administration’ stipulated in the aforementioned resolutions in order to make this possible has lost its meaning. I would like to underline again that all the decisions taken by the TRNC within the scope of the Maraş initiative are within the framework of respect for property rights and are in full compliance with international law,” he added.
“Contrary to claims, the relevant UN Security Council resolutions are not violated,” the Minister said. Emphasising that UNSC resolutions are never about property and sovereignty rights, Oktay said: “Contrary to what is claimed, there is no violation of UN Security Council resolutions here.”