By Kyriakos Tsioupras
London, Feb 9 (CNA) – The Republic of Cyprus is an independent state and
there is no need for any foreign troops to remain on the island, British
Labour MP for Hendon Andrew Dismore has said, adding that the 1960 Treaty of
Guarantee is an anachronism.
Dismore was speaking last Friday at a meeting of the Association of Cypriot,
Greek and Turkish Affairs on the conclusions of a visit to the island by a
Friends of Cyprus delegation at the end November, last year.
Andrew Dismore, who is vice chairman of the Friends of Cyprus, said that
Britain should be supporting efforts for a settlement without getting into
the details, like it did in relation to the Annan plan (a UN solution plan,
rejected by the Greek Cypriots and approved by the Turkish Cypriots).
He added that Britain should encourage confidence building measures and
should also be prepared to offer part of its Sovereign Base Area land at the
appropriate time, in relation to the effort for a solution. Britain has
retained two military bases on the island when it granted Cyprus its
independence in 1960.
“Cyprus is an independent state and there is no need for any foreign troops
on its land” he stated.
Progress as a whole at the talks remains slow, he noted, but it is
encouraging that both sides - the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot
communities - express confidence that results can be achieved.
He said it is positive that there are no artificial deadlines. However he
pointed out the danger of events catching up with them with “elections” in
April and the so-called presidential elections at the beginning of 2010 in
the northern Turkish occupied part of Cyprus.
The British MP called on both sides to show flexibility in the process.
“One should never say ‘this is the last chance’ but one should also
recognize that a future effort will start from a worse position. And if
there is a referendum, the choice will not be this plan or something else.
The choice will be this plan or partition” he concluded.
The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President Demetris Christofias
and Mehmet Ali Talat, have been engaged in talks since September last year
with a view to finding a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement, which
will reunite the country, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
The Treaty of Guarantee, agreed between Cyprus, Britain, Greece and Turkey,
says that Britain, Greece and Turkey "guarantee the independence,
territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus and also the
state of affairs established by the Basic Articles of its Constitution".
CNA/KT/EMA/MM/2009
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
British MP Andrew Dismore is spot on but he unfortunately neglected to mention that all Guarantor Powers (Turkey, UK and Greece) have breached this treaty thus making it null and void as they are obligated to GUARANTEE Cyprus territorial integrity and sovereignty.
