President tells Varosha refugees to ‘be patient’

President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday said the government was monitoring and would react accordingly depending on any developments on Varosha, as the House adopted a resolution condemning the attempts by Turkey to change the status of the fenced town.

Speaking to members of the press after a memorial for those who were killed while fighting against the coupists during the July 15, 1974 coup by the Greek junta, the president said this was a day of remembrance.

He said the betrayal of the junta and its collaborators on the island  brought an unspeakable disaster to Cyprus.

“Therefore, everyone should be taught from what preceded and what followed from how some Greek-speakers carried out orders of foreign forces for the benefit of a specific country,” Anastasiades said.

Asked about what he would advise Famagusta refugees ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s arrival in the north and possible announcements on Varosha, he called on them to “be patient.”

“We are alert, we are monitoring, and we will react accordingly based on what he might announce,” Anastasiades said.

He added that Nicosia was doing what was possible through diplomacy, also referring to warnings by the EU and UN on Turkey over its moves in Varosha.

He also thanked the National Council, which convened on Wednesday to discuss the government’s reaction to possible negative developments on Varsosha, for agreeing to “jointly and decisively” deal with what might follow.

Among the speculations is that Erdogan might call on Greek Cypriot refugees from Varosha to return to their properties under Turkish Cypriot administration. The government urged refugees not to take up this offer arguing it was a trap.

In the meantime, the House plenum, in an extraordinary session to honour those who sacrificed their life to defend democracy during the coup, adopted a resolution on Varosha, condemning the attempts by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to change the status of the fenced town and urging Ankara to terminate its illegal stance.

In the resolution, tabled by Diko MPs, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the House calls on Turkey to respect the 1979 High Level Agreements and to implement the UN Security Council Resolution on the return of the fenced off town to its legal residents and to show good will as a first step contributing to the efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.

Among other things, the resolution underlines the statement made by the UN Secretary General dated October 6, 2020 which calls on Turkey to avoid unilateral actions in Varosha and emphasises the unchanging position of the Security Council as recorded in its resolutions and decisions.

The deputies also express their gratitude towards the European Parliament for its continued interest in the issue of Famagusta and call on the UN Security Council to intervene to avoid new faits accomplis.