By Alexandra Brzozowski and Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has told Asharq Al Aswat in an interview that he “would like NATO not to forget that apart from an alliance of countries, it is an alliance based on specific values. And this obliges NATO, when one of its members makes a mistake, to state it clearly. It has not done it so far.”
Dendias was referring to NATO’s neutral stance on Turkey and the recent crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean, in which the alliance did not take any side. He called on Athens and Ankara to ease tensions and de-escalate the situation in the region.
Dendias also raised the issue of Cyprus and particularly Turkey’s proposal for the creation of two states as a solution to the 1974 invasion. In fact, Turkey wants a division of the island. Greece and Turkey are both NATO members but Cyprus is not.
“There is not a two-state solution,” Dendias emphasised, adding that the only acceptable solution according to international law would be the reunification of the Mediterranean island.
The debate over the future of Cyprus has heated up as fresh talks begin. Meanwhile, a Turkish coastguard vessel fired warning shots on 16 July at a Cypriot police boat near the line of control off the island’s north coast, Cypriot media reported.
“The EU cannot stay silent in the face of Turkey’s hostile behaviour,” said Manfred Weber, the head of the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament.
Athens and Nicosia are on alert ahead of a visit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 20 July to Varosha, a resort that the Turkish army fenced off immediately after the invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
The Greek Cypriots who fled from Varosha were not allowed to return and with public entry prohibited, it has effectively become a ghost town.
Press reports in Athens suggest that Erdoğan will announce the unilateral re-opening of the town and Turkey’s intention to exploit its tourism potential.
In a resolution in November 2020, the European Parliament condemned such a move, saying it would undermine efforts for the island’s reunification.
A ‘humanitarian act’
Contacted by EURACTIV, Damla Guclu, a Turkish Cypriot Representative to the EU, said Ankara considers the opening of closed area of Maraş (Varosha in Turkish) as a “humanitarian act.”
“We see the re-opening of closed area of Maraş as a humanitarian act, which will be economically beneficial to both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot peoples. Currently, infrastructure, environmental and landscaping works in closed area of Maraş are underway and the steps being taken by our government respect property rights and are in line with the international law,” she said.
Guclu added that Maraş is part of the territory of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC) – which is only recognised by Turkey – and its gradual opening is “a positive development which has received much attention, with 250,000 visitors to date, including the Greek Cypriots.”
She said the Maraş Inventory Commission was formed, composed of specialists and experts, to conduct a scientific inventory survey towards determining any future steps regarding the area, which has already been completed.
“The Immovable Property Commission, recognised as an effective domestic remedy by the European Court of Human Rights, has the authority to deal with applications and deliver decisions on the property claims by providing remedies in the form of restitution, compensation and/or exchange,” she concluded.
However, she declined to comment on rumours suggesting that foreign companies, especially British ones, have expressed their interest in investing in Turkey’s tourism plans in Varosha.
The Cypriot foreign affairs ministry has published a video explaining the situation regarding Varosha. You can see the video here.
