The EP Resolution sends strong recommendations to Turkey
Statement of Neoklis Sylikiotis, AKEL MEP and Vice-President of GUE/NGL
13th November 2014
Today the plenary of the European Parliament approved a resolution on the Turkish actions that are creating tensions in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus. The resolution adopted includes strong recommendations to Turkey. It characterizes the Turkish seismic surveys as illegal and provocative and calls for the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish vessels that are in or around the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus. It also urges Turkey to sign and ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to revoke immediately its NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) and act in accordance with International Law. The resolution stresses that the Republic of Cyprus has the sovereign right to explore its natural resources, whilst it links Turkey’s accession process with the stance it is taking in the Cyprus EEZ. It urges Ankara to fully implement the Declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21st September 2005, according to which the recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process.
The AKEL MEP and Vice-President of the Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left Neoklis Sylikiotis underlined that the strong resolution achieved is the result of the collective efforts of the Cypriot MEP’s, the perfect cooperation with the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Cyprus and in particular with the Permanent Representative of Cyprus in Brussels, but also the help we received from MEP’s from all the political groups.
However, he stressed, we cannot but acknowledge the key role played by the Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left, which had tabled a strong resolution, contributing towards the improvement of the joint resolution that was put to the vote. AKEL MEP Neoklis Sylikiotis recalled that the Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left was the only Group which from the very beginning had insisted that the issue of Turkey’s provocations must be discussed in the plenary session and through its President raised the issue in the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, to be submitted for discussion and the approval of a resolution by the Plenary already in October. Since this proposal was not adopted, the European United LeftNordic Green Left once again raised the issue at the next Conference of Presidents, eventually achieving the discussion of the issue in the plenary of November.
AKEL MEP and Vice-President of GUE/NGL Neoklis Sylikiotis stressed that today a message was transmitted to all those genuinely interested in the solution of the Cyprus problem that they have to exert pressure on Turkey to stop its illegal, aggressive actions and work towards defusing the crisis Turkey itself has caused, so that the negotiation procedure is resumed and we can arrive at a solution as soon as possible.
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