NICOSIA, 27 June 2005 — The Cyprus government has issued an aide memoir to all member states of the Organization of Islamic Conferences, including the Kingdom, urging them to reject Turkey’s move to legitimize the “secessionist entity in the occupied part of Cyprus” at the OIC meeting to be held in Sanaa from June 28 to 30.
The document said that by doing so, “they will demonstrate their full respect for the rules and principles of international law, the UN Charter and Security Council Resolutions, by preventing Turkey from pursuing the eventual partition of Cyprus through the upgrading of the status of the Turkish-Cypriot community.”
The aide memoir, a copy of which was provided to Arab News, said any attempt to establish economic, trade, commercial or any other kind of direct relations between any OIC member state and, “the illegal entity in the occupied part of Cyprus,” would constitute a violation of international law and contrary to the UNSC resolutions on Cyprus. Any such adverse development would be, “considered an unfriendly act against the Republic of Cyprus.”
The aide memoir specifically calls on the member states of the OIC to reject any reference to a “Turkish-Cypriot State” in the official documents of the OIC and any mention of establishing “formal or informal relations with the said illegal secessionist entity. In any case, the government of the Republic of Cyprus would highly appreciate OIC member states placing a written reservation on the OIC resolution pertaining to Cyprus to be adopted by the forthcoming 32nd Ministerial meeting of the OIC.”
According to Ambassador Erato Kozakou-Markoullis, the Indonesian government has already clarified its stand that it does not recognize the establishment of Turkish-Cyprus as a state, “and will not recognize or establish diplomatic relations” with the entity.
The Greek-Cypriots rejected the Annan Plan by a massive vote in a referendum held last year, while the Turkish community in the areas under Turkish control voted for it.
Markoullis said the Greek-Cypriots rejected the plan, “because it did not address their legitimate concerns in terms of compensation for the property confiscated by the Turks or the question of settlers on their land brought in by Turkey from the mainland.”
