European poltical leaders reject GUE/NGL’s proposal for a debate on Turkey’s violations in the EEZ of Cyprus

 

 

STATEMENT OF MEP NEOKLIS SYLIKIOTIS,

MEMBER OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU OF THE C.C. OF AKEL

 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 17th October 2014, Nicosia

 

As it is known, the Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament tabled a request at the Conference of Presidents of the Political Groups of the body to include in the Plenary agenda a debate with resolution on Turkey’s violations and provocations in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus.

AKEL wishes to thank the GUE/NGL for its consistent and steadfast support which should be treated with the corresponding respect in Cyprus. We welcome the statements of the President of GUE/NGL Gaby Zimmer who stressed once again, inside and outside the Conference of Presidents that “we cannot remain silent and we must put an end to Turkey’s aggressive actions against the Republic of Cyprus, which constitute at the same time an attack on the European Union.”

This proposal submitted by GUE/NGL which aimed at the body taking a position to convey an unequivocal message to the side that is in the wrong, unfortunately was not approved, given that apart from the Left only the European People’s Party supported the request and all the other Political Groups voted against it. On the contrary, we would like to recall that a similar request was approved in the past when Turkey was again harassing the carrying out of explorations and subsequently a discussion took place in the Plenary with all the Political Groups denouncing Turkey’s stand.

As AKEL, we consider as unjustified whatever excuses were heard from official statements made about a “lack of preparation in submitting the issue”. Such references are completely unsubstantiated and are attempting to excuse what is in fact inexcusable. If after so many representations made by the Republic of Cyprus, the Permanent Representation in Brussels, the leaders of Cypriot political parties and MEP’s certain circles and forces consider our own side is responsible for the rejection of the request, this simply means that they choose to maintain their illusions. It must be pointed out that certain Political Groups, primarily the Group of Socialists and Democrats, did not remain consistent to their declarations and this was the reason why the issue was not included on the agenda of the forthcoming plenary session.

AKEL and the Group of the Left in the European Parliament, given that the issue is tabled for discussion in the Foreign Affairs Committee, will work so that pressure will be exerted by the European Parliament on the Turkish side to end its provocative stand which violates International Law and challenges numerous decisions of the European Council.