Cyprus-Forum.com

[humanist]

Turkish Leader Says UN Offers Sole Platform for Ending Cyprus Problem

The United Nations remains the only platform for resolving the Cyprus problem, <"http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/62/2007/pdfs/turkey-eng.pdf">Turkey's Prime Minister told the General Assembly today as he called on the members of the international community to remove all of their restrictions on Turkish Cypriots as soon as possible.

Recep Tayy?p Erdogan said there has been no recent progress towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem "due to the intransigence of the Greek Cypriot side. This clearly attests to the need to urgently resume comprehensive negotiations under an expedited process within a given timeframe."

Mr. Erdogan said that at a meeting on 5 September, "President Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus proposed to resume without further delay substantial negotiations to reach a comprehensive settlement by the end of 2008. This proposal, however, was rejected by the Greek Cypriot side. Should a solution be genuinely sought on the island, this proposal merits serious consideration.

"The international community should not only support the will displayed by the Turkish side to reach a comprehensive settlement, but also encourage the Greek Cypriot side to be more forthcoming in this regard."

The Prime Minister said a comprehensive settlement is only possible "under the good offices mission of the UN Secretary-General on the basis of the well established UN parameters."
http://newsblaze.com/story/200709290625 ... ories.html

On 8 July last year, the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities signed an accord setting out the necessary framework for a political process designed to lead to the resumption of full-fledged negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General's good offices, but the negotiations have not yet begun.

Mr. Erdogan also noted that, in a May 2004 report, the previous UN Secretary-General called for the lifting of all restrictions imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, and that the current UN chief, Ban Ki-moon, has since stood by those conclusions.

Yet, "the unjust restrictions... which have no legal or moral premise continue with no end in sight," he said, calling for their immediate removal.

Where do the arrogance of the Turks stop. Talat goes back on his word re:- the July 8th Agreement and yet it is the intransigence of the so called Greek side, that is stalling.

what about the call of unjust restrictions ..... has the Turk actually thought about the unjust occupation of refugee properties and Cypriot rights to their country?


Or is he just full of SHIT?

[Nikitas]

Notice the insistence on the UN only! Because if we bring in the EU legal order and all that bothersome stuff of human rights, property ownership etc that the EU is based on then the recipe for institutionalised plunder will not be possible.

Talat keeps telling us that he is the "true European". On the other hand he did say that the application of EU laws as they stand now favor the Greek postion and for that reason the Turkish side must go "above the law" whatever that may mean! Sounds like that old game of heads I win, tails you lose.

Question that keeps coming back time and again is this- regardless of what settlement is reached, if it breaches the individual rights of any person under EU aquis, will that person be able to challenge the settlement in the European courts? The EU courts and not the human rights court ECHR. In short can there be any agreement that is not within the parameters of the EU? Hmmmm question, questions.....

[humanist]

Nikitas I am not sure whether the Cyprus membership to the EU was a politically driven one to ensure that rights of EU Cypriot citizens are upheld or whether it was a fuck up on the part of the bureaucrats. The reality is Talat has fund himself in the pickle becuase if he wants EU membership the only way to get it is accept a BBF and stop the crap about recognition and independence of the occupied territory. My guess the population he is so called advocating for would be better off in a unified Cyprus as soon as possible to share the benefits and resrces of aour country.

[utu]

The United Nations has shown itself not to be competant enough to do more than man the buffer zone. So really, how can it be expected to solve the problem?

[Nikitas]

UTU,

It is a tactical move. Keeping the solution within the UN parameters prevents the EU aquis communautaire from being part of a settlement. The EU Aquis is that body of law, case law, practice, which governs the status of citizens (among other things) within the EU. The aquis covers human rights, rights of residence, movement, establishment in all member nations. A solution which expropriates property, prevents freedom of movement and residence, would just not fly under the EU aquis. However such a solution can stand if the EU aquis is left out and UN resolutions used as the only guidelines.

That is why the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides cling to the UN framework for dear life. It is the only setup that will let them have strict bizonality with an artifical ethnic mix. The problem to all that now is that Cyprus is already a member state and the EU aquis is applied in the south. Of the three other nations two (Greece Uk) are members of the EU and the third Turkey is actively in the accession process. So it would be a kind of nonsense to reach a solution that keeps the north of CYprus out of the EU or in the EU with exceptions and reservations on basic rights.