Anniversary of illegal declaration of the pseudostate in the occupied areas
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 14th November 2014, Nicosia
31 years have passed since the illegal declaration of the pseudo-state. This provocative, arbitrary and illegal act, nine years after Turkey’s invasion, came as the culmination of Ankara’s expansionist policy. Unfortunately, despite the international condemnation of this action too, underlined in UN Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), Turkey’s crimes against the people of Cyprus are continuing with the military occupation of 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, the colonisation of the occupied areas and the flagrant violation of human rights of all Cypriots.
Even today, despite all the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, Turkey insists on the consolidation of the occupying fait accompli. It is still working conscientiously for the permanent division of our country and people. On the pretext of defending the Turkish Cypriot community’s interests, Ankara continues to make violations that undermine every effort at solving the Cyprus problem and creating conditions for real normality in Cyprus. The recent violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its Exclusive Economic Zone by Turkey, which we denounce, is perhaps the biggest challenge after the illegal declaration of the pseudo-state. On the occasion of today’s anniversary and the recent provocations, we urge the international community to at last send out strong messages to Ankara.
We stress that it is Turkey’s unacceptable actions, assisted by the inflammatory statements of Turkish and Turkish Cypriot officials, which have led to the suspension of the negotiation procedure. Turkey is called upon to assume responsibility for the escalation of the tension it has itself created in order to make the resumption of the negotiations possible. The critical moments we are going through requires sobriety, and the greatest possible collective handling of the Cyprus problem.
AKEL underlines that its unwavering goal remains the liberation and reunification of Cyprus. At the same time, AKEL insists that the safeguarding of a just, functional and viable solution, a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, as defined in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions is the only path available to reverse the partitionist fait accompli.
