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CYPRUS NEWS BRUSSELS EDITION Monthly Bulletin Issue No. 4 May 2010 Efforts for resumption of negotiations Eroglu succeeds The UN-sponsored negotiations on a Cyprus at the negotiating table, it is a party to this settlement, which had been adjourned on 30 conflict; therefore, we would like to see the Talat as Turkish March, did not resume in April, as attention Turkish Government sending more positive centred on the “election” of Dervis Eroglu as messages and taking more positive and firm Cypriot leader the new Turkish Cypriot leader on 18 April, positions on the various issues”. The nationalist hardliner Dervis Eroglu defeating the more moderate Mehmet Ali Mr Kyprianou had delivered the same became the new Turkish Cypriot leader Talat, who had conducted the negotiations message to US Secretary of State Hillary in the Turkish-occupied area on 18 April, with President Demetris Christofias since Clinton in talks in Washington and had which was seen as a serious setback to the September 2008 (see adjoining report). received from her a reassurance of US support prospects of a Cyprus settlement. Mr Eroglu President Christofias declared his for the settlement talks in Nicosia. He had also has opposed the agreed framework of the readiness to resume the talks from the raised with her the longstanding proposal intercommunal negotiations which the point at which they had been adjourned for the return of the city of Famagusta to its defeated Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali and received strong backing from the lawful inhabitants. Talat, had been conducting with President international community, notably from the lThe change in the Turkish Cypriot Demetris Christofias since September 2008 EU, the USA and UN Secretary General Ban leadership was among the developments on the basis of the UN-defined goal of a Ki-moon. Mr Eroglu had based his campaign considered by a formal session on 26-28 bizonal, bicommunal federation. Although on opposition to the agreed framework of April of the Cypriot National Council, the Mr Eroglu declared his willingness to the settlement negotiations, under which senior advisory body on the Cyprus problem, continue the negotiations, his advocacy of a the aim is a bizonal, bicommunal federation, which also heard an assessment of the ruling confederation of two independent states is and on his call for a confederation of two by the European Court of Human Rights in outside the agreed negotiation basis. US State DepartmentUS State As the candidate of the right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), Mr Eroglu won outright with 50.4 per cent of the vote, against 42.9 per cent for Mr Talat of the social democratic Republican Turkish Party (CTP). President Christofias telephoned Mr Eroglu after his “election”, declaring his readiness to continue the settlement negotiations from the point at which they had been adjourned on 30 March. Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou commented that “we expect the international community to exert its influence and pressure on the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community to continue talks on the proper basis”. At a meeting with President Christofias in Nicosia on 21 April, the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN •Friendly Washington handshake... US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomes Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou to the State Department for talks on the Cyprus problem and other international issues. Security Council declared their support for his approach to Mr Eroglu proposing that independent states in Cyprus. March on Greek Cypriot property claims (see the talks should continue on the basis of The view of the Cyprus Government page 2). the intercommunal agreement reached with that the key to a Cyprus settlement lies lIt was announced in New York on 28 April Mr Talat in July 2008. Mr Stephanou said with Turkey had been stressed by Foreign that the UN Secretary General's Special afterwards that President Christofias had Minister Markos Kyprianou in what he Representative for Cyprus since April 2008, “reaffirmed his commitment and dedication described as “friendly and constructive” Taye-Brook Zerihoun, had been appointed to the basis of negotiations for a bizonal, talks with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon UN Assistant Secretary General for Political bicommunal federation solution, with at UN headquarters during his visit to the Affairs. Mr Zerihoun had also been head political equality, as described in relevant UN USA last month. Speaking afterwards, Mr of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus resolutions, for a single state with a single Kyprianou said that “we believe that even (UNFICYP). A new appointment to the Cyprus sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single though the Turkish Government is not sitting post is expected in the near future.q international identity”.q Religious rights seminar • Reaction to ECHR ruling • Missing persons day • Anti-trafficking plan • Stability Programme submitted • Volcanic ash disrupts tourism • EU Presidency plans • Direct trade opposed Seminar on religious rights in Cyprus Further reaction A seminar on “Religious Freedom and Holy from Cyprus and to help restore respect for Sites in the Republic of Cyprus” held at the religious freedoms in the occupied part. to ECHR ruling European Parliament (EP) in Brussels on 14 Speaking on the theme “How does The Cyprus Government’s non-approval April, featuring an address by Archbishop the Cyprus Government try to protect of recourse by Greek Cypriot owners of of Cyprus Chrysostomos II, called on the EU religious freedoms in the occupied parts?”, property in the Turkish-occupied areas to the to promote “respect for religious freedom Ambassador Mavroyiannis gave an overview “immoveable property commission” (“IPC”) and human rights in the occupied part of of the cultural depredations that have of the occupation regime was reiterated Cyprus”. Keynote speeches were given by resulted from Turkish military occupation on 28 April by Spokesman Stephanos Andreas Mavroyiannis, Cyprus’ Permanent and of the legal and diplomatic efforts to call Stephanou. This stance followed a ruling by Representative to the EU, and by three Turkey to account. He stressed that “Turkey is the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) religious representatives. Cypriot MEP Eleni the only one that can effectively remedy this in March that the “IPC” provided an effective Theocharous hosted the seminar, which situation...by allowing the two communities domestic remedy for dispossessed Greek took place under the patronage of former EP that have for eons lived peacefully together Cypriot property owners. president Hans-Gert Poettering. on the island to be reunited”. He concluded: Speaking after the National Council had Archbishop Chrysostomos said that “All Cypriots should be able to recover been briefed on the ECHR ruling by Attorney since Turkish forces invaded Cyprus in 1974 their rights and the invisible thread to their General Petros Clerides, Mr Stephanou said sacred Christian sites in the occupied areas roots, to their shrines and to the footprints that it was inappropriate for Greek Cypriots are systematically being destroyed. Recalling of their ancestors, to their monuments, the to apply to the “IPC”. He added that the ECHR that Cyprus had traditionally been a place of tangible signs of their civilisation, their way of ruling “does not influence the political and religious pluralism and tolerance, he said that decoding infinity and the vertical dimension legal arguments which the Government has in the past 36 years religious freedoms have that links man with God, as an individual, placed on the negotiating table regarding neither been respected nor implemented in and also as a member of the community of the property issue”. the Turkish-occupied areas. He called upon faithful, worshipping in harmony with the lThe UK Supreme Court on 31 March the EU to strongly support the demand for scriptures, with history, space, time and with rejected an appeal by UK couple Linda and withdrawal of occupying troops and settlers q a vision to a peaceful future.” David Orams against an Appeal Court ruling, backed by the European Court of Justice, in favour of dispossessed Greek Cypriot property owner Meletis Apostolides. The Special day declared for missing persons Orams’ lawyers had argued that under the ECHR ruling Mr Apostolides should apply The Cyprus House of Representatives has stressed the need for full determination of to the “IPC” for redress, but the UK Supreme declared 29 October as “Missing Persons their fate. It called in particular for Turkish Court decided that the ECHR ruling had no Day” and called upon the international compliance with the landmark fourth inter- bearing on his case.q community to demand that Turkey should state judgment of the European Court of co-operate in implementing UN decisions Human Rights in 2001 in which Turkey was and resolutions demanding verification of found guilty of breaching the rights of Greek Agency News Cyprus the fate of persons listed as missing in Cyprus Cypriot missing persons by not co-operating since the 1974 Turkish invasion. with attempts to ascertain their fate. The date was chosen on the proposal lA progress report by the tripartite of House President Marios Garoyian to Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) on 7 commemorate the day in 1974 when the April on its programme for the exhumation, last prisoners from the invasion were set identification and return of the remains free by the Turks. Since then the uncertainty of those killed in Cyprus gave the number surrounding those listed as missing has exhumed since mid-2006 as 649. Of these, remained a feature of the Cyprus problem, as 217 had so far been identified by DNA demonstrated by the 26th Marathon of Love testing, consisting of 166 Greek Cypriots and for Missing Persons on 19-25 April. 51 Turkish Cypriots. A total of 1,619 persons The House once again expressed had originally been listed as missing on the its sympathy, support and solidarity as Greek Cypriot side, whilst about 500 Turkish regards the relatives of missing persons and Cypriots were also on the list.q •President Christofias (left) welcomes Mr Papandreou.