Cypriot MP briefs PACE President on Cyprus

Aristofanis Georgiou, head of the Cypriot delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, met today with PACE President Lluis Maria de Puig whom he briefed on the current phase of the direct negotiations, between Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

Underlying the strong will of the Greek Cypriot side to achieve a just, viable and functional solution of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation, Georgiou stressed that the key to a Cyprus settlement lies in Turkey's hands.

De Puig expressed his full support to the efforts for a Cyprus settlement, stressing that both he personally and the Council of Europe in general are willing to assist these efforts in the framework of their competencies.

De Puig's meeting with Georgiou took place in the framework of PACE Spring Plenary session.

Furtermore, Cypriot MP Antigoni Papadopoulou submitted on Wednesday a written statement regarding the increase of Turkish settlers, in Cyprus' northern part, occupied since the 1974 Turkish invasion. The statement was signed by a number of MPs.

The statement refers to the so-called elections which took place in the occupied areas of Cyprus and reports that the number of Turkish Cypriot voters has declined as opposed to the increasing numbers of voters of Turkish origin.

The statement recalls settlement is an illegal act which violates both the Council of Europe's resolution as well as those of the UN. Hundreds of Turkish settlers have arrived illegally in Cyprus’ northern Turkish occupied areas and have settled there.

The statement calls on the Council of Europe to exert pressure on Turkey to halt the illegal policy it implements in Cyprus, which poses a serious obstacle to efforts to bring about a solution to the Cyprus problem.

UN-led direct negotiations between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities began in September last year with a view to reunite the country, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.