Parliamentary Assembly
Assembl�e parlementaire

Cyprus

Doc. 10161
27 April 2004

Report
Political Affairs Committee
Rapporteur : Mr E�rsi, Hungary, Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

Summary

The Parliamentary Assembly is profoundly disappointed by the failure of the international community’s efforts aimed at resolving the Cypriot problem and to permit the adhesion of a reunified Cyprus to the European Union.

The Assembly pays tribute to the Turkish Cypriots who voted in favour of the settlement plan. It considers that international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots must cease.

I.          Draft resolution [Link to the adopted text]

1.         The Parliamentary Assembly is profoundly disappointed by the failure, following the massive "no" vote by the Greek Cypriot community, of the international community's efforts to end the division of Cyprus and enable the two Cypriot communities to together join the European Union on 1 May 2004. However, it respects the choice made by the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots in separate and simultaneous referenda.

2.         It pays tribute to Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and his colleagues, who have made a tremendous contribution towards achieving a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

3.         The Assembly pays tribute to the Turkish Cypriots, who supported the Annan Plan by an overwhelming majority, thus opting for a future in Europe. The international community, and in particular the Council of Europe and the European Union, cannot ignore or betray the expressed desire of a majority of Turkish Cypriots for greater openness and should take rapid and appropriate steps to encourage it.  The Turkish Cypriots' international isolation must cease.

4.         The Assembly therefore welcomes the support expressed by several European political leaders for financial assistance for the Turkish Cypriots and an easing of the international sanctions against them. The United Nations should also consider whether the resolutions on which the sanctions are based are still justified.

5.         The Assembly considers it unfair for the Turkish Cypriot community, which has expressed clear support for a reunited and European Cyprus, to continue to be denied representation in the European political debate. Such continued isolation may help strengthen the positions of those who are opposing a unified Cyprus.

6.         The Assembly therefore decides to invite elected representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community to attend Parliamentary Assembly sessions and meetings of its committees. Without establishing any status, such participation shall be governed by the same conditions as those laid down in Rules 59.7 and 59.8 of the Rules of Procedure.

III.        Explanatory memorandum

1.         Bearing in mind the time constraints to which urgent debates are subjected, as well as the fact that the Cyprus problem is again at the centre of international public attention, the Rapporteur will confine himself to giving a brief chronological reminder of the latest developments relating to Cyprus.

2.         On 28 January 2004 the Assembly adopted Resolution 1362, in which it called on the leaders of the two Cypriot communities (paragraph 12.i):

3.         On 5 February 2004, Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, invited the leaders of both communities to resume, as early as 10 February, negotiations based upon his peace plan.

4.         The negotiations began in New York on 10 February 2004 and were then resumed on 19 February in a building at Nicosia’s disused airport, within the buffer zone under UN control which separates the two communities. These continued until 22 March, without the parties reaching an agreement.

5.         From 23 March 2004 onwards, the talks were continued at Burgenstock (Switzerland) on a broadened basis: representatives of Turkey and Greece joined the negotiators from the two Cypriot communities. On the Turkish Cypriot side, Rauf Denktash decided to boycott the four-way negotiations in Switzerland.

6.         On 29 March 2004, Kofi Annan presented the new version of his plan for resolving the Cypriot problem.  In the absence of an agreement between the Cypriot parties, it was decided to submit his plan for the approval of the two communities in referenda on 24 April 2004.

7.         The results of the referenda were as follows:

75.8% of Greek Cypriots voted against the Annan Plan, 24.2% voted in favour, and the turnout was 88%.

64.9% of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the Annan Plan, 35.1% voted against, and the turnout was 87%.

Reporting Committee: Political Affairs Committee.

Reference to Committee: Reference 2943 on 26 April 2004

Draft Resolution adopted with four abstentions by the Committee on 27 April 2004 (8 am - 10 am)

Members of the Committee : Jakic (Chairman), Margelov (Vice-Chairman), Spindelegger (Vice-Chairman), Ates (Vice-Chairman), Aguiar, Akhvlediani, de Aristegui, Arzilli, Atkinson,  Azzolini, Ban�š, Berceanu, Bianco, Blankenborg, Van den Brande, Cekuolis, Davern, Dreyfus-Schmidt, Druviete, Duivesteijn, Durrieu, Elo, Glesener, Goulet, Gross, Hedrich, Henry, H�rster, Iwinski, Jahic, Jovaševic, Judd, Kalezic, Karpov, Klich, Ko�i, Kosachev (alternate: Kolesnikov), Kostenko, Lindblad, van der Linden, Lloyd, Loutfi, Magnusson, Martinez-Casan, Marty (alternate: Reimann), Matušic, Medeiros Ferreira, Meimarakis, Mercan,  Mignon, Mihkelson, Narochnitskaya, Nemcova, Nemeth, Oliynyk, Ouzky, Pangalos (alternate: Vrettos), Petrova-Mitevska, Petursdottir,  Pintat Rossell, Pourgourides, Prentice, Prijmireanu, Prisacaru, de Puig, Pullicino Orlando, Ranieri (alternate : de Zulueta), Roth, Severin, Severinsen, Seyidov, Slutsky, Tabajdi, Tekelioglu, Torosyan, Toshev, Tritz, Vakilov, Wielowieyski, Wohlwend, Wurm, Zacchera (alternate: Malgieri).

Ex-officio: Davis, E�rsi, Einarsson, Russell-Johnston

N.B. : The names of the members who took part in the meeting are printed in italics

Head of the Secretariat : Mr Perin

Secretaries to the Committee: Mrs Ruotanen, Mr Chevtchenko, Mr Dossow