March 29, 2024

Letter dated 2009/09/25 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly (A/64/467)

United Nations

A/64/467

  General Assembly

Security Council

Distr.: General

2 October 2009

Original: English


 


Sixty-fourth session                                                            
Agenda item 8
General debate

Letter dated 25 September 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

 

I have the honour to enclose herewith the text of the written statement of the delegation of the Republic of Cyprus in exercise of the right to reply to the remarks made by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, on 24 September 2009, in the General Assembly (see annex).

I should be most grateful if you could arrange to have the text of the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 8.

 

 

( Signed ) Minas A. Hadjimichael



Annex to the letter dated 25 September 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

 

 

Statement of the delegation of the Republic of Cyprus in exercise of the right of reply to the remarks made by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey on 24 September 2009 in the general debate of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session

 

 

The Government of the Republic of Cyprus regrets that the positions taken by the Prime Minister of Turkey in his address to the General Assembly on 24 September 2009 are clearly disconnected, both in letter and spirit, with the ongoing efforts undertaken by the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, within the good-offices mission of the Secretary-General, to reach a political settlement. What is even more disconcerting is the fact that the Prime Minister of Turkey selectively recalls today his country’s role as guarantor power only in relation to a so-called “new partnership” in Cyprus , a notion that falls outside the agreed basis upon which the talks are being conducted.

The Prime Minister of Turkey attempts to introduce elements that are not part of the agreed process, such as arbitration and timetables. This is an attempt to alter the nature of the negotiations and would also endanger the end result of that process, which is to find a solution by the Cypriots and for the Cypriots.

At the same time, the Prime Minister of Turkey has suggested that unless the solution to be found falls within specific conditions laid down by Turkey , then the United Nations and the international community should seek to “normalize” the status of the so-called “TRNC”. Turkey , which is currently serving on the Security Council, should be reminded that its role is to uphold international law and legality and not to call upon the international community to upgrade an illegal entity that has been universally condemned by the Security Council itself.

Finally, instead of speaking of the so-called “isolation” of the Turkish-Cypriot community, the Turkish Prime Minister should help the Turkish Cypriots by allowing the leader of that community to arrive at a solution that would guarantee the legitimate rights of the people of Cyprus , Greek-Cypriots, Turkish-Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins. The “isolation” that Mr. Erdogan refers to is the direct consequence of the ongoing occupation of a substantial part of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkish troops.