Speech by Stefanos Stefanou, AKEL Political Bureau member and AKEL C.C. Press Spokesperson, at the Overseas Cypriots Congress
22nd August 2017, Nicosia
Dear compatriots living abroad,
I welcome you all to Cyprus. On the occasion of your presence in our homeland, I would like to express our gratitude on behalf of AKEL for your valuable, multifaceted and manifold services to Cyprus.
Speaking about the Cyprus problem, and due to the limited time at my disposal, I won’t refer to its history. We have outlined and you’ve heard our views about the history of the Cyprus problem many times. I will focus on the current pressing issues.
What is the situation today surrounding the Cyprus problem?
We are in a stalemate, which was caused by the failure of the Crans Montana Conference. Every time there is a stalemate, Turkey tries to exploit the situation in order to consolidate, make permanent and aim to legalize the occupation and division in Cyprus.
What we need to understand is that Turkey can realize its strategic goal of a permanent presence in Cyprus and of sovereignty over our island not only through a bad solution, but also through the non-solution of the Cyprus problem. Therefore, it is imperative that we always pursue and strive for the solution, which, of course, should be based on principles which we as the Greek Cypriot side have many times expressed. Turkey is exploiting the passage of time without a solution to promote the partition of Cyprus.
Taking into account the backdrop of the current situation, Turkey is trying to consolidate the occupational fait accompli through three basic means:
- By deviating the Cyprus problem from the parameters of the United Nations. The statement made by Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglou is well known.
- By playing the “blame game” and apportioning the responsibility for the stalemate on the Greek Cypriot side.
- By creating new fait accompli in the occupied areas.
Having all this in mind, what must be done?
The first thing I would like to point out is that the United Nations, despite the failure of the Conference in Switzerland, has not declared a collapse at this stage of the negotiations which began in 2008. It is obvious that the International Organization wants to preserve what has been achieved through the negotiation procedure. It wants to safeguard the convergences achieved, which are numerous and important for the quality and functionality of the solution. By safeguarding and harnessing the “acquis” of the negotiations, the UN wants to continue and complete the effort so as to achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem.
The International Organization considers that the responsibility for the continuation of the negotiations lies with both sides, the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot. Unfortunately, Turkey is outside the framework of the responsibilities that the UN apportions, both for the failure of the Conference, as well as for the continuation of the negotiations.
We must focus our attention on the day after. And, more specifically, we need to focus on creating the preconditions for resuming the negotiations. The resumption of the negotiations should commence from the point where they were interrupted, safeguarding the convergences achieved and utilizing the framework of the conclusions of the UN Secretary General Gutierrez. It is what the UN is calling for and this is what we have to plan, by taking the relevant initiatives.
At the same time, we must remain consistent to the agreed basis of the solution, which is reflected in numerous UN resolutions on Cyprus, but also in many decisions approved by the EU and other international organizations. I am talking about the solution of bicommunal, bizonal federation. Any shift from this position of ours will cause the relevant resolutions on Cyprus to be annulled, isolate us internationally and allow Turkey officially and at no political cost to raise the issue of partition and the establishment of two states in Cyprus.
Bicommunal, bizonal federation as a basis can support a solution that fulfils the Greek Cypriot side’s long-standing goals, namely a solution that will liberate us from the occupation, reunite the country and the people, restore human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for a functional and viable state to be established. When we correctly conclude that Turkey is aiming to consolidate occupational fait accompli due to the unacceptable positions it expresses on the Cyprus problem, we should not be attacking bicommunal, bizonal federation itself, but instead Turkey’s unacceptable positions.
There is no other available and feasible way to solve the Cyprus problem other than through negotiations. How else will we attempt to reach an agreement without negotiations? How else will we test Turkey, its positions and intentions? How else will we create a climate for exerting pressure on Turkey to do the necessary thing? Only negotiations offer this possibility which is why we must work to create the preconditions for the resumption of the dialogue.
In closing my brief intervention, I want to reiterate our long-standing position that AKEL will continue to work and struggle for our people’s final vindication, which will be achieved by reaching a solution that will be based on principles, liberate, reunite and will make our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the real master in our country.
