November 15, 1999

On 15 November 1983 the Turkish Cypriot leadership unilaterally declared the independence of the part of Cyprus which is under Turkish occupation since 1974. The international community expressed its immediate condemnation about the attempted secession and considered it a gross violation of all relevant agreements as well as all resolutions of the United Nations in Cyprus and in particular of the treaty of establishment of the Republic of Cyprus.

The UN Security Council adopted resolution 541 (1983) condemning UDI and declaring it legally invalid as null and void, calling for its withdrawal. The latest Security Council resolution 1251(1999) reaffirms all earlier resolutions on Cyprus and furthermore calls once more upon all states to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus. The unacceptable demand of the Turkish government and the Turkish Cypriot leadership for recognition of the occupied part of Cyprus makes Resolution 541 of 1983 of special relevance.

In the reactions of the international community statements were made by the permanent members of the Security Council, the EEC, the Council of Europe, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Commonwealth. It may be recalled that the United States in their statement on 18 November of 1983 "condemned this unilateral action by the Turkish Cypriots" and stated that "There is only one legal government of Cyprus. The United States will never recognize the self-declared Turkish Cypriot State." The United kingdom in their statement on 15 November of 1983 "deplored that action" and made clear that the "the British government recognize only one Cypriot state." Similar statements were made by all permanent members of the Security Council.

Unfortunately Turkey has not heeded the repeated appeals by the international community and fails to comply with the UN resolutions in particular of the Security Council. To the contrary Turkey presses on with her unacceptable demands and her partitionist designs calling for the creation of two states in Cyprus. We have repeatedly stated that the ultimate goal of the Turkish government is to consolidate the division of the island brought about by the use of force in violation of all rules and norms of international law . We hope that the Turkish government will re-evaluate its position and heeding to the expectations of the international community will render its support for a Cyprus settlement that will allow all Cypriots to live in a federal Cyprus with the human rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed to everybody without any discrimination.

It is necessary that the international community will firmly stand by its expressed positions and decisions on Cyprus and use its influence on the Turkish side in order to achieve a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem based on the UNSC resolutions for a bicommunal, bizonal federation in one State of Cyprus member of the EU. In these efforts we are ready to cooperate constructively and in good will in order to achieve that objective

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