Any abandonment of bizonality would lead to permanent partition
Statement of Toumazos Tsiellepis, Head of the Cyprus Problem Office and member of the Political Bureau of AKEL
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 15th June 2015, Nicosia
The decision of the Extraordinary Conference of the Social Democratic Party EDEK, by which the solution of a Bi-zonal Federation is now renounced formally as well, is fully respected. However, since this is about an issue of crucial importance that affects the very course of the Cyprus problem, as AKEL, we consider it necessary to clarify once again our own position on the matter.
The content of bi-zonal federation is included in the 1977 High-Level Makarios – Denktash Agreement, although since the early 1980’s the term was adopted officially too. Since then, bi-zonality has been included in numerous UN Security Council resolutions. Furthermore, bi-zonal federation is also reaffirmed in all the plans submitted now and then for a solution of the Cyprus problem, in the talks between the two communities over the years, as well as in the decisions adopted by the National Council. We recall indicatively the 8th July Agreement and the unanimous position approved by the National Council in September 2009.
Bizonality means nothing more than that the Federal Cyprus Republic will consist of two constituent states, each one of which will be administered by the respective community. Anything else that is attributed to bizonality, such as for example all the talk about a firmly guaranteed clear majority of population and of land ownership of the respective community, frequently represents the Turkish positions which are not adopted by neither the Greek Cypriot side, nor by the United Nations. It is worth recalling once again that there is the Christofias – Talat convergence, according to which all Cypriot citizens will have the right to reside, work, conduct trade, exercise a profession, set up and operate businesses or engage in any economic activity anywhere on the island without any restriction whatsoever.
AKEL considers that any abandonment of bizonal federation, forty years since this was agreed between the two communities and adopted by the international community, would deal a fatal blow to our credibility and will lead us into dangerous adventures, doomed to end in permanent partition.
