Written declaration No. 424 | Doc. 11884 | 18 May 2009

Colonisation of the occupied part of Cyprus

Signatories: Ms Antigoni PAPADOPOULOS, Cyprus ; Ms Magdalina ANIKASHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Patrick BREEN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Anna ČURDOVÁ, Czech Republic ; Mr Aristophanes GEORGIOU, Cyprus ; Mr Holger HAIBACH, Germany ; Mr Bjørn JACOBSEN, Norway ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Emmanouil KEFALOYIANNIS, Greece ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Franz Eduard KÜHNEL, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Jaakko LAAKSO, Finland, UEL ; Mr Terry LEYDEN, Ireland, ALDE ; Mr Dick MARTY, Switzerland, ALDE ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Gebhard NEGELE, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD ; Mr Kent OLSSON, Sweden ; Ms Zaruhi POSTANJYAN, Armenia ; Mr Jørgen POULSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Christos POURGOURIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Mr Leander SCHÄDLER, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD ; Mr Konstantinos VRETTOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Paul WILLE, Belgium ; Ms Rodoula ZISSI, Greece

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

During the recent illegal “elections” in the occupied part of Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot newspapers and other sources reported that the number of Turkish settler “voters” had increased to about 100,000, as opposed to the number of Turkish Cypriot “voters”, which did not exceed 60,000.

Therefore, the undersigned members of the Assembly would like to point out the following:

1. These “elections” were illegal, since the illegal administration in the occupied part of the country, which is subordinate to Turkey, is not recognised internationally.

2. The number of Turkish Cypriots in the occupied part is decreasing whereas the number of Turkish settlers is increasing alarmingly, posing the legitimate question as to who will have the final say in the solution of the Cyprus problem: the Turkish Cypriots or the settlers?

3. We strongly condemn the continuing illegal colonisation of the occupied part of Cyprus, which constitutes a severe violation of the pertinent resolutions and recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the United Nations and generally of international law.

The Council of Europe should exercise pressure on Turkey to stop this colonisation policy which also constitutes a serious drawback in the efforts to solve the ongoing Cyprus problem.