By Marinos Pavlikas *
The Municipality of Paralimni is studying the development within the dead zone. At a meeting on September 7 last year, the Municipal Council of Paralimni approved by a majority the proposal of the Mayor Theodoros Pyrillis for the construction of a dirt sidewalk to the United Nations outpost, tree planting and the construction of an observatory from where visitors can gaze at the to the north but also the whole coastal area to the south. Two of the members of the Municipal Council disagreed with the decision, since, as they stated, the area is in a Dead Zone under the responsibility of the United Nations.
Pyrillis: "No one can unjustly deprive the rightful owner of land use"
In statements to the newspaper SIMERINI on Sunday, the Mayor of Paralimni, Theodoros Pyrillis, stated that the purpose of the decision of the Municipal Council is to claim the development of the area within the dead zone. This development will not be limited only for agricultural purposes as it happens every day, but the request of the Municipality will include road and residential developments.
The UN-controlled area of the Municipality of Paralimni occupies an area of about four kilometers, while in some cases its width exceeds one thousand two hundred meters. According to Mr. Pyrillis and in what he told "S", the occupying troops have placed their outposts at a distance of less than two hundred meters from the opposition line, while on the contrary, in the free areas, there is a cage of the area under the control of the convoys. , in an area that could be developed for the benefit of its owners, in accordance with the existing policy statement in which that area is defined as a development area.
Therefore and taking into account the decision of the Municipal Council, the Municipality of Paralimni is expected to proceed soon with the completion of the mapping of the area and the relevant request will be forwarded to the competent Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs through the Famagusta District Administration. A request which, however, will not concern the exclusion of the area from the Dead Zone regime but the granting of a permit for developments within it.
Asked if the Municipality of Paralimni will proceed with the development of the coastal area within the Dead Zone, Mr. Pyrillis told "S" that the Dead Zone includes the coastal zone which will also be included in the request for development.
Political implications
Undoubtedly, the issue is expected to have political implications, since in the past the Greek Cypriot side has made representations at the United Nations for interventions by the occupying authorities within the Dead Zone, especially when it comes to plans that will include residential development. The request of the Municipality of Paralimni could be translated by some as a response to the recent challenges of the occupying authorities for illegal imposition of duties on humanitarian aid which is sent to the trapped.
The Mayor of Paralimni answered the questions that may arise, saying that on the one hand the decision of the Municipality has been taken long before the last provocations of the Turkish Cypriots. On the other hand, the issue, although political, the local authority, as he said, considers only the well-meaning interest of its citizens, which in this case is the use of property in the area of the dead zone, which is part of the territory of the Republic.
Spokesman: "The request will be considered"
In his statements to "S", the Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulidis stated that the Government is ready to consider the request of the Municipality of Paralimni when and if it is submitted to the competent departments. As he stated, the Municipal Authority has acted correctly, using the right way and submitting the request officially through the Republic of Cyprus. Nevertheless, he noted, any decisions will be taken after the necessary studies are first done by the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs.
The Turks are consolidating positions in the dead zone
After Strovilia and Louroutzina, they are consolidated territorially and militarily in the region of Morphou. Paralimni also complains of violations, requesting the development of the dead zone
The occupying army is proceeding with actions of imposition on the ground and military advantages over the Dead Zone. According to information from Simerini, after Strovilia and Louroutzina, where the Turkish pocket has been enlarged, the advancements of the Turkish occupying forces are beginning to consolidate in areas in the region of Morphou, which fall into the Dead Zone. Military sources told "S" that the movements of the Turks "become imperceptible, gradually and in the long run", however, lately the Turkish army has been engaging in regular promotion exercises within the neutral zone, in case UNFIKYP leaves.
Violations by the occupying troops are also reported by the Municipality of Paralimni, which last month approved a plan for the development of the Dead Zone in the area. The decision of the Municipal Council, which has already proceeded to map the area, is submitted very soon in the form of a request to the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs. The government says it will consider the request, but indicates that decisions will be made once the necessary studies have been carried out and under the framework of the agreements with the United Nations and the status quo in the Dead Zone. Military circles, in which we put the information, emphasize that the request of the Municipality of Paralimni must be put before the GEEF, as any intervention substantially affects military and defense parameters.
These actions of the occupying army, however, in combination with the return of the Maronites under Turkish rule, the issue of Famagusta, the recent ban on religious events and especially the illegal imposition of tariffs on humanitarian aid to the trapped, are separatist actions, which lead effortlessly to the implementation of the Turkish plan B '. The occupying "authorities" try to demonstrate the existence of a separate "state", which imposes "duties" and exercises power. The government has weapons in its quiver (suspension of the Green Line regulation, termination of financial aid to the occupied territories), as long as it addresses the EU.
Read in detail in Simerini that is circulating.
Source: * TODAY's Sunday (15/10/2017)