Cyprus-Forum.com

[The Cypriot]

24 July 2009
News Release

Historic Consensus Support for Cyprus, Cypriots and the Unity Talks

The UK-based Friends of Cyprus have worked with members of three All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs), that of Cyprus itself, of Turkey and what is known as “Turkish Northern Cyprus” to see if it could maximise the number of British Politicians who understand how important the current talks between the Cypriots leaders are, for all Cypriots, for Cyprus and for Turkey.

The list of the thirty MPs who have signed what is known as an Early Day Motion (EDM), number 1897 on Cyprus and Unity Talks, represents only the beginning of this process of backing the talks in Cyprus, this coming autumn. The EDM was only tabled on 15 July, itself the historic 35th anniversary of the Greek Junta Coup against Cyprus President Makarios in 1974 which led to the problematic Turkish military presence on the island from 20 July 1974 until today.

Despite the lack of time available for signatures to be added, which ended on Tuesday when the House of Commons went into Recess for the Summer, the list includes two Vice Chairs of Friends of Cyprus, Andrew Dismore and Simon Hughes, and other members, Roger Berry, Richard Burden, Mike Hancock, Lynne Jones, Andy Love, Bob Spink and Nigel Waterson, and three of the officers of the APPG on Turkey, Bob Laxton, Lindsay Hoyle and Paul Rowen, the former two members also of the APPG on “Turkish Northern Cyprus”, and another member of the APPG on Turkey, Peter Bottomley

This cross party and cross allegiance consensus is unique in British politics leading to one of the leading members of the “Turkish Northern Cyprus” APPG to say this talking together of British politicians who have traditionally taken sides between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, to be historic.

The wording of the EDM is as follows:

That this House welcomes the commitment shown by the two Cypriot leaders, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, under the auspices of the United Nations, in persevering in the ongoing unity talks; further welcomes their agreement to open the Limnitis-Yesilirmak crossing; commends the work of the Missing Persons Committee in discovering and returning remains of both Greek and Turkish Cypriot missing to their families and the extensive demining of the buffer zone; urges the leaders to expedite the process for a historic solution by Cypriots for Cypriots, particularly on the 35th anniversary of the events of 1974; recalls previous such incidents in 1963-64 and the late 1950s; further recalls with regret the suffering of all Cypriot people; and looks forward to a future when a peaceful, reunited Cyprus will be a partner not an enemy of Turkey, and vice versa, removing one of the obstacles for Turkey in December's Accession Report and on its path to the EU generally, while vastly improving relations between Britain's allies, contributing to regional peace, prosperity and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The full list of the thirty MPs: Andrew Dismore, Janet Anderson, Roger Berry, Peter Bottomley, Colin Breed, Richard Burden, Martin Caton, David Clelland, Jeremy Corbyn, Ann Cryer, Jim Dobbin, David Drew, Andrew George, Neil Gerrard, Mike Hancock, Lindsay Hoyle, Simon Hughes, Glenda Jackson, Brian Jenkins, Lynne Jones, Bob Laxton, John Leech, Andrew Love, John McDonnell, Paul Rowen, Bob Russell, Alan Simpson, Bob Spink, Andrew Stunell and Nigel Waterson.

For more information contact: [email protected]