| United Nations |
S/2009/296 |
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General Assembly
Security Council |
Distr.: General
9 June 2009 Original: English |
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Letter dated 5 June 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council
The Security Council, at its meeting on the situation in Cyprus held on 29 May 2009, held a number of erroneous allegations and regrettable positions by the Republic of Turkey with respect to the situation in Cyprus more generally, as well as in relation to the ongoing efforts to find a settlement to the Cyprus problem. Since my delegation was not allowed to make a statement at the said Council meeting, I should be grateful if you could bring to the attention of the members of the Council the position of my Government on the said allegations and positions, as contained in the attachment to the present letter (see annex), and circulate it as a document of the Security Council.
( Signed ) Minas A. Hadjimichael
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Cyprus
Annex to the letter dated 5 June 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council
Response of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations to the explanation of vote made by the representative of the Republic of Turkey in the 6132nd meeting of the Security Council held on 29 May 2009
It is unfortunate that the Republic of Turkey chose to vote against the draft resolution that was adopted by the Council during its 6132nd meeting as resolution 1873 (2009). As a member of the Security Council, Turkey carries a responsibility towards the maintenance of international peace and security which supersedes any considerations that are guided by what that member may perceive as its national interest.
However, even more disconcerting is the content of the explanation of vote that followed the rejection of Security Council resolution 1873 (2009) by Turkey, as the historical revisionism outlined therein amounts to a denunciation of all Security Council decisions on Cyprus to date and of the nature of the settlement that the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus are currently in the process of trying to achieve, having themselves agreed to the basis of the settlement, which has been repeatedly endorsed by the Security Council.
The Republic of Cyprus , which gained its independence in 1960 after centuries of colonization, was not a “ partnership State ”, nor did it comprise more than one people. The two communities, along with the other religious groups, constitute the Cypriot people and are equal citizens of the Republic of Cyprus whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution, regardless of ethnic background or religious persuasion. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus remains the only legitimate Government of Cyprus, despite the choice of the Turkish Cypriots to opt out of the institutions of the State in 1963 by relinquishing their functions. Their positions in all institutions of the Government have been vacant since then. Any centrifugal tendency that aims at partitioning Cyprus , including the use of force by Turkey in 1974, will not curb the resolve of the Cypriot people to live peacefully in a truly united State with one sovereignty, one international personality and one citizenship, and without any external interference.
It is regretful that the said statement of Turkey suggests that the result of its use of force against a sovereign Member State of the United Nations — that is, the establishment of an illegitimate regime in the area of Cyprus that it still occupies — should be recognized in order to achieve a settlement to the Cyprus problem. The Security Council has been clear in condemning this purported secessionist entity as invalid, in its resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), and all Member States of the United Nations, and particularly those serving on the Security Council, should comply with them, as opposed to putting their violations thereof on display in the Security Council Chamber. The insistence of Turkey on, and its omnifarious contribution to, the partition of Cyprus as its preferred solution to the Cyprus problem, has created the untenable status quo in which we find ourselves. Unless its mentality shifts from one of a two-State solution to one of reunification under a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality as set out in Security Council resolutions, Turkey will continue to be the reason why this problem remains unresolved.
Until Cyprus is reunified, the presence of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus is indispensable in order to counter the threat posed to international and regional peace and security by the presence of upwards of 42,000 Turkish armed forces, which continue to maintain the Turkish occupation of one third of the territory of Cyprus, and to prevent the recurrence of fighting.