Resolution of the European Parliament
on the Enclaved of Cyprus

Adopted on April 10, 1997

The European Parliament,

having regard to its previous resolutions on Cyprus, and in particular those of 24 October 1996 and 27 March 1996,

A. whereas the treatment of some 350 Cypriots and 150 Maronites living in an enclave in the occupied territories of northern Cyprus still gives considerable grounds for concern,

B. whereas the Vienna III agreement of 1975 provided, inter alia, for the protection of Greek Cypriots in the enclave and the obligation, on the part of the occupying "authorities", to ensure religious and educational rights and freedom of movement for the people living in question, protection of their health and reunification of their families,

C. whereas the Secretary-General of the United Nations noted, in his report of 7 June 1996 on the situation in Cyprus, that the Vienna III agreement had not been applied to the persons living in the enclave and that their living conditions were grossly unacceptable,

D. having regard to the daily violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms suffered by the persons living in the enclave in respect of religion, freedom of movement, education and health,

E. whereas the Secretary-General of the United Nations made specific proposals in two successive reports in 1996 for improving the living conditions of the persons in the enclave, but whereas at the same time he noted that no progress had been made by the "occupying authorities" in the norther part of the island,

F. recalling the public declarations made by Lord Finsberg in 1995, in his capacity as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on the policy of demographic cleansing applied to the persons in the enclave in northern Cyprus, and his call for immediate humanitarian action,

G. whereas the number of persons in the enclave amounted to about 20,000 in 1974, while today it is under 500,

H. whereas at meetings of the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee in Nicosia the European Parliament has on two occasions (March 1996 and March 1997) called for a small delegation to be sent, under the auspices of the UNO, to visit the persons in the enclave and to take stock of their condition, but has never obtained any clear authorization from the parties responsible for the occupied part of the island,

1. Regards the conditions which are always imposed by the occupying force on the visit by a delegation of Members of the European Parliament to the persons in the enclave as out of the question, since acceptance of these conditions would be tantamount to de facto recognition of the illegal occupation;

2. Condemns once again, and in the strongest terms, the serious and persistent violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms suffered by the persons in the enclave which have been committed by the illegal occupying regime, and the intransigence on the part of the latter;

3. Believes it is a matter of urgency for a delegation from the European Parliament to be able to visit, as part of the work of its Subcommittee on Human Rights, the persons in the enclave, freely and without any prior conditions, in order to report on their situation;

4. Calls for much greater awareness on the part of the UNO and the bodies of the European Union, in particular the Council and the Commission, with a view to preparing and carrying out any action which they may deem necessary, including humanitarian action, aimed at improving the living conditions of the persons in the enclave;

5. Instructs its president to forward this resolution to the UNO, the Council, the Commission, the Member States and the governments of Cyprus and Turkey.

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