UN General Assembly
1983

71. Unfortunately, the Greek-Cypriot side has been swayed by such counsel. Recently they left the negotiating table and requested a debate in the General Assembly, knowing only too well that the Turkish community, because it has no opportunity to address the General Assembly, would feel extremely frustrated. The result was that the good faith created by uninterrupted intercommunal talks since 1980 was seriously eroded. The one-sided, unbalanced, unfair and unrealistic nature of resolution 37/253, adopted on 13 May 1983, served only to increase the resentment of the Turkish-Cypriot people. The Turkish Cypriots rightly reminded world public opinion that they were as much entitled as the Greeks of Cyprus to exercise the right of self-determination. They have so far chosen to exercise this right with the aim of contributing to the creation of a partnership between the two communities within the context of a federal State. But if the other side rejects this partnership, they will have no choice but to reshape their own destiny themselves.