AKEL will not under any circumstances consent to an alteration of Cyprus’ demographic character
Statement of Aristos Damianou, AKEL Political Bureau member
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 24th April 2016, Nicosia
The statement of the President of the European Council that “Turkey today is the best example in the world on how to treat refugees” is a provocation to the people of Cyprus. But on the essence of the issue too, Turkey cannot be receiving praises at the same time as its own illegal actions both in Syria and in relation to the Kurdish issue have contributed greatly to provoking the humanitarian and refugee crisis. To say nothing of Turkey permitting the use of its territories for the illegal and incompatible with every sense of justice and morality transfer of refugees, violating its self-evident political and legal obligations. The Turkish state also bears grave responsibilities for the carnage of dead from the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea.
As AKEL we had promptly warned that Turkey cannot receive rewards at the expense of the Cyprus problem and the quality of the solution in the EU’s effort to reward Turkey for the management of the refugee crisis, whether these rewards concern its Cyprus-related obligations towards the EU, or with regards Turkey’s demand (which is under discussion) for the abolition of visas for the entry of Turkish citizens in the EU. This will substantially affect the content of the solution of the Cyprus problem being sought.
The possible acceptance of Turkey’s demand for the “naturalization” of 26,000 Turkish citizens by the illegal administration in the occupied territories would represent an extremely negative development. For AKEL the utilization of the Christofias – Talat convergence, which determines that during the moment of the much-needed solution the proportion of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots must be 4: 1, and that the proportion of the future flow of Greek and Turkish citizens must be the same, is sine qua non, namely something absolutely indispensable. AKEL will not under any circumstances consent to an alteration of the demographic character of Cyprus.
We expect that the international community will also support this position of principle until the end, if it wants to remain consistent to its declared principles.
