WRITTEN QUESTION E-3621/00

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Council

(22 November 2000)

Subject: Turkish violations of Cypriot airspace

On 22 October 2000 two Turkish F4 aircraft entered Cypriot airspace and flew along its western coastline near the town of Paphos. This a regular tactic of the Turkish forces of occupation and comes in addition to the recent instance of the seizure of the neutral zone in the Strovilia area, to which the European Union's response was confined to admonitions addressed to the aggressor. Rauf Denktash, the representative of the occupation regime in Cyprus, has also spoken on the violation of Cypriot airspace, telling journalists, before his meeting with the UN representative, Mr Alvaro de Soto, on 22 October, that the location of the Turkish aircraft by the Cyprus air defence system was an act of war.

What is the Council's view on the Turkish regime's actions against Cyprus, a country with which the EU is conducting accession talks, and on the remarks of Mr Denktash, the representative of the Turkish Cypriots, a provocation to the legal authorities in a country, 37 % of the territory of which has been subjected to a barbarous 26-year occupation designed to incorporate occupied Cyprus into Turkey and to obliterate all traces of the European cultural heritage?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3621/00, E-3767/00 and E-3768/00

(14 May 2001)

The Union expresses unreserved support for the UN Secretary-General's efforts to find a solution, since the United Nations constitutes the reference framework for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the issue. The Council's position on the UN Secretary-General's efforts to find a solution to the conflict has been reaffirmed recently by the European Council and the Council.

On 7-9 December 2000, the Nice European Council welcomed and expressed its strong support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General to achieve an overall agreement on the Cyprus problem consistent with the UN Security Council Resolutions and to arrive at a positive conclusion of the process initiated in December 1999. The European Council appealed to all parties concerned to contribute to the efforts made to this effect.

On 4 December 2000, the Council reached political agreement on including the following reference to the Cyprus issue in the short-term (2001) priorities of the Accession Partnership for Turkey under the title Enhanced Political Dialogue and Political Criteria: in accordance with the Helsinki European Council conclusions, in the context of the political dialogue, strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to bring to a successful conclusion the process of finding a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem as referred to in point 9 (a) of the Helsinki European Council conclusions.

The proximity talks scheduled to begin at the end of January 2001 did not get off the ground given the Turkish-Cypriot side's failure to participate. The Council still hopes that this round of discussions can take place as envisaged and be completed successfully.

The question of a violation of Cypriot airspace has not been raised in the Council. The Council recalls that, in resolution 367 of 12 March 1975, the UN Security Council, called for respect for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.