EU calls on Turkey to abide by UN resolutions on Cyprus

The EU report on the 2023 enlargement policy called on Turkey to reaffirm a commitment to UN-led settlement talks on the Cyprus issue, in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, it was announced on Wednesday.

“Turkey is expected to actively support the negotiations on a fair, comprehensive, and viable settlement of the Cyprus issue within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded and the EU acquis,” the report said.

It added that Ankara should not take any unilateral actions that could raise tensions on the island and prevent the resumption of talks.

Regarding the opening of Varosha, Turkey “must immediately reverse the unilateral actions announced on 20 July 2021, and all steps taken since October 2020 that run contrary to relevant UNSC resolutions”.

The reports also mentioned violations by Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles in the Nicosia flight information region and the national airspace of the Republic of Cyprus.

Mention is also made of Turkey’s veto of Cyprus joining the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Ankara’s failure to recognise the Republic of Cyprus, and normalise relations with the country.

“It [Turkey] continued to refuse to recognise the Republic of Cyprus and repeatedly advocated a two-state solution in Cyprus, contrary to relevant UN Security Council Resolutions,” the report said.

It said that the violations continued unabated, and that Turkey increased the militarisation of the north by upgrading the military drone base in Lefconico and the naval base in Bogazi.