Press Releases

The Cyprus Government has been informed by the European Union (EU) that the personal envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General for the Cyprus problem has expressed her readiness to substantially contribute to all stages of the negotiation process, said the President of the Republic, Mr Nikos Christodoulides.

In statements to the press, following the naming ceremony of the "Park of the Missing Children of the Turkish Invasion of 1974" and in response to a journalist's remark that there is an attempt by the occupation regime to turn the arrest of a Turkish Cypriot lawyer for the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties into a political issue, the President said: “This is an illegal action. A relevant arrest warrant has been issued for this illegal action and the arrest warrant will be executed. It is not related with the talks. Illegality is illegality, and this effort to bring to justice all those involved in the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties will not stop under any circumstances. This has absolutely nothing to do with the talks.”

Asked if, considering the information regarding this effort by the occupation regime, talks can be conducted, the President said: “I consider the announcement (of the appointment) of the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General particularly important. She has already begun contacts; she had a meeting with our Permanent Representative in New York, a very good meeting, and considering the content of what has been discussed, I can tell you that she is aware of many details. She is ready to work and I believe she will help us in our efforts to resume talks.”

The President added that Ms Holguín Cuéllar will visit Cyprus after January 27, “not only for a day as we had requested from the beginning”, and that after her visit in Cyprus, she will visit the guarantor power countries, Brussels and other capitals.

Mr Christodoulides said that “we are ready to welcome her to Cyprus and do whatever is possible, not just with words but with actions, so that conditions are created for the resumption of talks with one and only goal: a solution based on the agreed framework.”

In response to a question about the measures he intends to announce for the Turkish Cypriots and whether these will be announced upon the arrival of the UN Secretary-General's envoy in Cyprus, President Christodoulides said: "There are 14 measures that have already been decided, already prepared. They will indeed be associated with the envoy's arrival. These are unilateral actions of the Republic of Cyprus towards our Turkish Cypriot compatriots. They are not measures – I want to make it clear, because I hear some statements being made, and to avoid any different interpretation – that will be announced before the arrival of Ms Cuéllar in Cyprus.”

In response to a journalist's whether these developments affect the property aspect of the Cyprus problem, especially when the Turkish Cypriot leader states that what is happening is legal, the President of the Republic said: “The fact that it is not legal has been decided by courts, the warrants implemented by EU member states, by the international community. There is no justification for illegality. This specific issue is not related to the efforts to resume talks. I want to clarify this so that no one can use such excuses.”

He added that the property issue has been affected since the sale of these properties began, a sale which is illegal based on court decisions and has no legal validity.

(ASP/GS)