The provocative acts by Turkey to “reopen” the enclosed town of Famagusta (‘Varosha’) under conditions of military occupation including the visit to the fenced area of Varosha by the Turkish President Mr. Erdogan for a ‘picnic’ are in flagrant violation of the UN SC Resolution 550 (1984) which notes that “any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants is inadmissible” while calling “for the transfer of this area under the administration of the United Nations” and of the UN SC Resolution 789 (1992) urging for “the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha”. 

Further, UN SC Resolutions 2483 (2019), 2506 (2020) and 2537 (2020)recall the status of Varosha as set out in the previous resolutions.

It is clear to everyone that the primary objective of Turkey is to undermine any efforts in the resumption of negotiations regarding a comprehensive settlement on the Cyprus dispute and ultimate objective to abandon all efforts in reaching a settlement on the agreed basis of a Bizonal Bi-communal Federation thus imposing a permanent division on the island. Such an objective is in violation of UN SC Resolution 414 (1977) as it calls for a “refrain from all unilateral actions anywhere in Cyprus that may affect adversely the prospects for a just and peaceful solution”.

With the above in mind, we respectfully request the Secretary General of the United Nations as well as the European Leaders to exert every effort and use all influence stemming from their capacities to:

1. Prevent Turkey from proceeding with its current plans in relation to Varosha.

2. Support the formation of a Bi-Communal Technical Committee with a mandate to investigate the reconstruction of Varosha.

3. Call upon the leaders of the two communities to resume negotiations.

4. Uphold the above-mentioned UN SC Resolutions and set as top priority the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants under UN administration without any preconditions, thus serving justice and forging conditions for transcending the current stalemate.

5. Ensure that the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce and Industry office at 26A’ Gladstone Street in Varosha reopens immediately to actively assist in the return of the lawful inhabitants of Varosha to their homes and businesses.

Let us make the enclosed city of Famagusta an example of building a new modern city for

younger generations of Cypriots from both communities to live in.