Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (26 November) . . Page.. 4709 ..

MRS CROSS (continuing):

Numerous Security Council resolutions and decisions call on Turkey to facilitate this procedure. Nonetheless, at the beginning of March this year, the Turkish leadership employed a negative approach to the Secretary-General's initiative and directed the talks to a new collapse.

Following that, on 14 April 2003, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1475 on Cyprus, which, inter alia, stated

The Security Council ... regrets that, as described in the Secretary-General's report, due to the negative approach of the Turkish Cypriot leader, culminating in the position taken at the 10-11 March 2003 meeting in The Hague, it was not possible to reach agreement to put the plan to simultaneous referenda as suggested by the Secretary-General ...

European Union accession of the country could work as a catalyst towards the solution. 1 May 2004 marks the full accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the union, and it is the strong will of the Cyprus government, as well as of the international community, the United Nations and the European Union, for a resolution to the problem prior to that date.

By the end of 1974, Mr Deputy Speaker, thousands of people were living in enclaves in their occupied villages under conditions of oppression, harassment and deprivation. Now only 421 Greek Cypriots and 155 Maronites remain in the occupied area. This figure goes back to May 2001. 35,000 Turkish soldiers armed with the latest weapons are stationed in the occupied area, making it, according to the United Nations

Secretary-General, one of the most militarised regions of the world. Over 115,000 Turks have been brought over from Turkey to colonise the occupied area, thus changing the demography of the island and controlling the political situation.

According to Turkish-Cypriot newspapers, over one-third of Turkish Cypriots emigrated from the occupied area between 1974 and 1995 because of the economic and social deprivation which prevails there. As a result, the Turkish Cypriots who remain are today outnumbered by the Turkish troops together with the colonists. The illegal regime in the occupied area is deliberately and methodically trying to eradicate every trace of a 10,000-year-old cultural and historical heritage. All Greek place names have been replaced by Turkish ones. Churches, monuments, cemeteries and archaeological sites have been destroyed, desecrated or looted. Priceless religious and archaeological treasures, part of the world's cultural heritage, are being stolen and smuggled abroad, and illegal excavations and dealings in antiquities are taking place.

The arbitrariness and arrogance of the conduct of Turkey, particularly through the inflexible Turkish and Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, for many years now continue to poison the atmosphere for potential reconciliation. Turkey continues to bemoan lack of progress along the path to its entry to the EU, while at the same time many Turkish Cypriots have been demonstrating together with the Greek Cypriots in favour of going into the EU. Nothing budges. The United Nations chides Turkey, the EU chides Turkey, the Greek Cypriots try to seek resolution. Something has to give, and it is about time that that something happened and happened now.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .