UK Labour Party says Turkish troops must leave

Britain’s opposition Labour Party has set out three tests for the UK Government ahead of the Geneva summit on Tuesday, such as insisting Turkish occupation troops withdraw, and a two-state solution is repelled.

According to the Opposition, London must ensure a lasting and just settlement for the island of Cyprus when Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab attends Geneva this week.

Labour’s three tests for the UK government:

• Make clear its support for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal political settlement with political equality, in line with its historic obligations as a guarantor power, in line with existing UN Resolutions.
• Call on the Turkish Government to begin a phased withdrawal of all military personnel from the island of Cyprus, including the resort of Varosha, and end all drilling in the Republic of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone.
• Ensure international law is upheld throughout the negotiations and not support any political settlement that undermines the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.

Fabian Hamilton MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Peace and Disarmament, said: “These talks are a crucial opportunity to make progress towards a political settlement for the island of Cyprus.

As a guarantor power with historic legal commitments to Cyprus, the UK Government has a responsibility to take them seriously”.

“It’s vital that the UK Government sticks to its longstanding obligations to the people of Cyprus to ensure both sides can come to a lasting and meaningful political settlement, which is in the interests of regional stability.”

Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have failed to yield results; the last effort failed in Switzerland in July 2017.

The UN Secretary-General invited all parties involved to attend an informal five-plus-one meeting on the Cyprus issue in Geneva, Switzerland, from 27-29 April to see if common ground exist to resume negotiations.