Nikos Christodoulides: "It's Peace Time Now," Calls for PACE Support

In his address at the PACE meeting, Christodoulides conveyed messages related to the arrival of the UN representative appointed for the Cyprus issue.

The speech reportedly outlined Christodoulides' view that the closed city of Varosha should be placed under UN administration. Responding to an unnamed Turkish Cypriot MP's question, he claimed that the Turkish occupation deprived both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots of their rights.

Christodoulides stressed that it is now a time for peace, requesting PACE's support for creating a suitable environment and efforts by the Greek Cypriot side to solve the Cyprus issue. He pointed out that ongoing crises in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh indicate that political deadlocks should not be overlooked, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy and dialogue to prevent permanent cycles of violence.

Addressing the challenges faced by Greek Cypriots due to the Turkish occupation, Christodoulides mentioned the 50th anniversary of the division and the issues of refugees, missing persons, and enclaved individuals. He stated that PACE has the responsibility to act through its decisions and court judgments regarding these matters.

Christodoulides expressed his appreciation for the support of PACE members and highlighted the active role that the Council of Europe, especially the Parliamentary Assembly, can play in contributing to the Greek Cypriot efforts for an appropriate environment and a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue.

Referring to the recent report by PACE rapporteur Piero Fassino on the situation in the closed city of Varosha, Christodoulides underlined the importance of remaining vigilant about any action concerning Varosha, other than placing it under UN administration, as it would violate the relevant decisions of the UN Security Council.

In his concluding remarks, Christodoulides reiterated his commitment to a federal solution with political equality for the two communities in Cyprus and expressed the hope for the resumption of negotiations in 2017 at Crans Montana.

Christodoulides responded to a question during the Q&A session, where he emphasized that human rights should apply to all Cypriots and claimed that the Turkish occupation is responsible for depriving Turkish Cypriots of their rights.

He discussed the isolation issue, arguing that the Turkish occupation is the root cause of the isolation that both Turkish and Greek Cypriots face. Christodoulides mentioned the benefits Turkish Cypriots have gained since Cyprus joined the EU, such as obtaining Cypriot passports and utilizing the Green Line Regulation. He announced that unilateral measures against Turkish Cypriots would be disclosed in the coming days.

In his speech, Christodoulides also acknowledged past mistakes regarding Russian investments in South Cyprus and mentioned the price paid by the government and the people. He emphasized that such mistakes belong to the past and indicated that there are no longer golden passports or visas.

Christodoulides invited PACE members to read the Moneyval report to understand the steps taken by Cyprus. Finally, he clarified that Cyprus does not participate in military operations but is involved in humanitarian operations.

The news about Christodoulides' speech appeared in various Greek Cypriot newspapers with headlines highlighting his peace message, the hope for the resumption of negotiations, and the call for PACE support for Cyprus.