We need to "dare to take the next step in the Cyprus problem", said the President of the Parliament Annita Dimitriou, in her speech at the special session of the Plenary of the Parliament on the black anniversaries of the coup and the Turkish invasion on Monday.
"Fifty years of occupation is already too much. And we must realize that time does not work in our favor. At this critical juncture for the Cyprus issue, we cannot afford to hide behind procedures and obstacles. This is not the time to get trapped in the vicious circle of old partisanship", said Mrs. Dimitriou.
He noted that the way and the means must be found "to speak in modern and simple language in society, to address transparently the citizens, especially our young men and women, to make them common and participants in the effort to solve our national issue" . The world, he added, must be aware of the stakes and what needs to be addressed and managed. And this, as he mentioned, can only be done with clarity and full transparency.
"We need to create the conditions to go even further. Let's not leave fertile ground for extremism and populism that disorientate", he said.
Furthermore, the President of the Parliament noted that we should not "deny the truths no matter how painful they are". As stated by the Personal Envoy of the General Secretary Ms. Holgin, she added, "the status quo has widened the distance and widened the lack of knowledge about each other, and this is growing with each passing day. […] Many people unfortunately seem to have surrendered to the position that the current situation cannot be changed,” he pointed out.
He noted that it is not easy to change, but it is not impossible, as long as we walk with honesty and clarity towards the goal. With a compass, as he said, for the future the understanding of history and with respect for the diversity of each community.
Half a century, he added, does not mean that nothing changes, something that can be seen in practice in other otherwise frozen political conflicts, but that a lot will have to change. "And we need to persevere and toil today more than ever," he said.
He noted that division and division cannot be the future of this place and the people of Cyprus. As he said, at this critical moment "we must create perspective and give hope". And precisely here, as he said, lies the responsibility of each one.
He expressed the opinion that through convergence and unity such a thing can be achieved, outside the climate of confrontation and counter-complaints. And with each new step, he added, let the shadows of the past shrink instead of grow.
The President of the Parliament paid tribute to all those who fell defending legitimacy and democracy, those who offered heroic resistance to Attila and offered their bodies in an unequal battle, defending the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, all these women, the mute heroines, who suffered and martyred at the hands of the conqueror.
He particularly referred to the veterans of the National Guard and ELDYK who threw themselves into the heat of war and loyal to duty fought for universal values, justice, freedom, our national ideals.
He also referred to the fact that Ankara systematically and daily creates new achievements on the ground, especially attempting to overthrow the status quo in the closed area of Famagusta and also in the dead zone.
As he said, organized and methodical, with continuous provocative actions, he questions the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, both in the EEZ and in other areas. And the obsession of the occupying leader, but also of Ankara, in the rhetoric of the two states, he added, is the pinnacle of Turkish intransigence. The proposal of the term on sovereign equality dynamizes, said the President of the Parliament, the prospect of resuming substantial negotiations, since it is in a vertical and direct dimension with the agreed framework and the resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization.
Mrs. Dimitriou stated that the appointment, last January, of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations, is a positive step.
Pending the Secretary-General's decisions after and after the delivery of Mrs. Holguin's report, “we must all show with determination and conviction that we are ready to contribute constructively to the removal of the current impasse and the resumption of negotiations. The dangers lurking for our country and our people through the perpetuation of stagnation and prolonged stalemate must be fully realized and understood by all," he said.
Especially, as he said, if the present initiative of the UN Secretary-General for the resumption of substantive negotiations, within the framework defined by the resolutions and parameters of the Security Council, is not crowned with success. In such an eventuality, he added, it is crucial to officially record the honest and positive attitude of our side, regardless of which attitude Turkey ultimately chooses to follow, which should accordingly be charged with the responsibility of the impasse.
Otherwise, he said, it is very likely that the international actor will approach the position that it is no longer possible to find a solution on the basis of the ILO with political equality and that other options for settling the problem should be considered. A possibility, as he said, that will bring very negative consequences for our national issue.
"Therefore we must leave no room for doubt as to our intentions and determination. We must show our readiness with initiatives, suggestions, proposals and counter-proposals", he said.
He said that the House of Representatives, fully aware of its mission and duty, unequivocally declares its will and determination to make the most of the possibilities that parliamentary diplomacy offers us.
In this context, he noted the recent approval of a resolution by the Plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on the subject "Call for the return of Varosians to their legal residents", where a clear reference is made to invasion and occupation. He described it as an important success for the Parliamentary Assembly to recognize the essence of the Cyprus problem and thanked the MPs for this.
Source: KYPE