The Mayor of Famagusta, Alexis Galanos, sent a harsh accusation to each recipient today through a press conference organized by the Municipality of Famagusta at the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia.
With the slogan "10 plagues for Famagusta and the refugee world - 45 years with the keys of our houses in hand" the Mayor of Famagusta expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the course of the Famagusta issue, for the marginalization of refugees in the occupied province Famagusta and the entire refugee world, announcing, at the same time, the elaboration of a specific action plan for a dynamic demand for the rights of refugees and redress of the existing injustice.
In his announcement, the Mayor of Famagusta focused on ten points which, as he mentioned, were decided by the Municipality of Famagusta in an overwhelming majority, and which are pursuing the 45 years of injustice to which they are subject.
Specifically, Alexis Galanos referred to the political exploitation of the drama of Famagusta, the creation of perpetrators against the city of Evagoras and demanded the return of refugees and the fair distribution of the loss of use, while he did not hesitate to refer to neighboring local authorities (meaning the Municipalities of free Famagusta) who use "unacceptably" the name of the city of Famagusta, taking advantage of historical events in Famagusta.
The press conference was attended by the Mayors of Morphou, Kyrenia, Lysis, Kythrea, Lefkonikou, Akanthou, Karava, Lapithos as well as representatives of the occupied communities of Famagusta.
It is recalled that the Mayor of Famagusta and members of the Municipal Council of the occupied city met on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace with the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, without making any statements after the meeting.
The speech of Alexis Galanos as it is:
I especially want to welcome the friendly mayors of the other occupied municipalities. Our struggle is indivisible and common and so it will remain until the end. I would like to welcome the mayor of Morphou, Kyrenia, Lysis, Kythrea, Lefkonikos, Akanthou, Karava, Lapithos as well as the representatives of the occupied communities of Famagusta.
I want to tell you that this is not an interview like the others we gave in the past. It is an interview that I will just read and then answer questions from journalists and yours but also glad to hear statements.
It is an announcement of the vast majority of the municipality of Famagusta after 45 years of exile and it is our bitterness, our bitter complaint and it is our soul that we give to a great extent by making this announcement. It is a timeless announcement we are not targeting anyone. If some people feel that they have been targeted to put their hand on their heart and wonder if we really have the right to do any targeting as refugees but also as feeling like citizens as you saw in the second category.
The Famagusta City Council in its last session has decided by its overwhelming majority to reiterate in the most categorical way that the issue of the return of the city of Famagusta can not be seen only as a simple confidence-building measure.
The continued occupation of the city of Famagusta by the Turkish army for 45 years is a clear violation of the principles and values of international law and a clear violation of human rights. Many opportunities to return to Famagusta have been lost in the past, some very clear, some disputed. Time is not our ally and the current status quo is catastrophic and leads to division with dangerous consequences. The only way to resolve the Cyprus problem peacefully is to resume talks within the United Nations. The return of Famagusta to a European city is a humanitarian issue and a matter of the highest priority as provided for in the fifth paragraph of the Kyprianou-Dektas High Level Agreement of 19 May 79 and the binding United Nations Resolutions 550 of '84 and 789 of 1992 as well. and the decisions of the Committee on Petitions adopted by the European Parliament.
Famagusta can revive the hope for a final and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. Nevertheless, the Municipality of Famagusta, sharing the indignation of the citizens and consequently of all the refugees for the blatant injustice and deprivation of human rights that have existed for the last 45 years, wishes to explicitly state that marginalization - I repeat the word as marginalization and marginalization category of citizens of the Republic of Cyprus is no longer acceptable and the following is underlined:
- The continued mockery of the issue of the return of Famagusta under an agreed solution is no longer acceptable. 45 years is too much. Opportunities for return were rejected for various reasons and for specific interests, with the result that the drama of the Famagusta people is perpetuated while the feeling of injustice is strengthened over time.
- The exploitation of the drama of the Famagusta people and consequently of all the refugees by some to create political careers and the bleeding of votes is no longer tolerated. The city of Famagusta is not allowed to be the focus of pre-election discussions.
- We demand absolute transparency regarding the acquisition of use rights to Turkish Cypriot property by refugees and non-refugees. The "loukouleio-parties" with the well-known convenience of ymteras have lasted a long time and are no longer going. Transparency now!
- We demand until our return our homes and property the fair distribution of the loss of use of the assets of the refugee population taking into account the results of the property register, ie taking into account the benefits obtained after 1974 same use of Turkish Cypriot property or as acquisition or even as interest-free borrowing from government funds in exchange for the loss of use of assets whose use was forcibly terminated in August 1974. It is time to cost the cost of non-settlement as well as to shoulder it all and all its citizens. democracy. 45 years is more than enough to tolerate and withstand the weight of the invasion of a certain category of citizens and our children and grandchildren. It is time for Cyprus to become a state of law and not a state of injustice.
- We express our dissatisfaction with the marginalization of our remarkable citizens. We fail to realize that the citizens of the proud city of Famagusta who led the rapid development of Cyprus before 1974 and who showed the way again and after the war until today do not have worthy representatives to be appointed and offer successful work in decision-making centers.
- We condemn the attempt to cancel the metropolitan municipality of Famagusta through the unacceptable use of the name of our city as well as the exploitation of historical events in Famagusta by a portion of other neighboring local authorities. Famagusta is one. Despite the 45 years of occupation, there is no substitute for it and there will be no substitute.
- We call on all the media to assume their responsibilities and to rise to the occasion so as to prevent the death of Famagusta through the immoral exploitation and deliberate appropriation of its name by third parties. The city of Famagusta was, is and will be the Metropolis of the province of Famagusta, free and occupied.
- We express our displeasure with all due respect to the deputies of our province and the leadership of political parties because they have misinterpreted the ethos, kindness and composure of the people of Famagusta and the rest of our refugees in the occupied province of Famagusta and all refugees. and over time it is perceived as a weakness against other behaviors thus devaluing the Metropolitan Municipality of the province of Famagusta as well as the other occupied municipalities and communities of the province of Famagusta. We expect from all the deputies of our province but also the unions and organizations of Famagusta dynamic support to defend our rights.
- We express our well-founded concerns about the way the recent expropriations of plots of land in Agios Memnon are being handled for the opening of the Deryneia roadblock, since we do not accept any violation of the rights of our citizens.
- The Municipality of Famagusta states categorically that the unfavorable long-term discrimination in the rights of its citizens is no longer accepted. For 45 years, our citizens have been suffocating since they have only obligations without enjoying the basic human rights in their own homeland, making them the second category citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Famagusta Municipal Council has prepared a specific action plan and this public announcement is an open invitation to all the occupied municipalities and communities to join us in a strong demand for our rights and rights to restore us as equal citizens of the Republic of Cyprus before they are too. too late. Relevant announcements regarding the action plan will follow.
Thank you and we expect this to be the beginning of a strong continuum because time goes by, the margins end. If this effort is not made at this stage and if we do not all move forward with a common goal and do not realize that the public interest at least for us is the interest of each one but also something more the interest of our place, the interest of children us who leave and get lost, the interest of our grandchildren, all of us all, all of Cyprus will one day weep bitterly because somewhere we have lost our way.
Famagusta.News