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RESOLUTION
The European
Parliament,
-having regard to its
previous resolutions on the political situation in Cyprus and Turkey
A. noting the public
statement by the President of the Security Council, Sir John Westonin which
he identified the Councl's concern and disappointment that further
substantive progress was impeded by the attempt by the Turkish Cypriots to
bring preconditions to the table,
B. welcoming the
statement made by Commissioner Van den Broek on 22 August 1997 and Council
President Jacques Poos, on 26 August 1997 about the lack of progress on the
Cyprus issue,
C. drawing attention to
the references to Cyprus in the Commission document "Agenda 2000- for
a Stronger and Wider Union", and to the European Council's undertaking
in Florence in June 1996, that "Accession negotiations with Cyprus
should start six months after the conclusion of the EGC",
D. maintaining that
negotiations for accession to the Union should benefit both communities,
1. Denounces the joint
declaration and the implementing measures, signed by Turkey and the illegal
regime in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus, which threaten to
annex the occupied part of the island to Turkey, as illegal, provocative
and not conducive to creating the right negotiating climate for the talks;
2. Is appalled at all
statements by Rauf Denktash, leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, that
there will be war in Cyprus if its application to join the EU is
successful, and demands their total withdrawal;
3. Regrets the
precondition for progress in the direct talks set by Mr. Denktash - the
freezing of the accession negotiations with Cyprus - and cofirms its clear
expectation that these negotiations will be launched by the beginning of
1998 as agreed by the EU in March 1995 and as expressed in Agenda 2000,
i.e. "if progress towards a settlement is not made before the
negotiations are due to begin, they should be opened with the Government of
the Republic of Cyprus, as the only authority recognized by international
law";
4. Welcomes the outcome
of the meetings between President Clerides and Rauf Denktash in Nicosia on
humanitarian issues, in particular measures concerning investigations into
the fate of the missing people, and expresses its hope that these efforts
will continue despite the outcome of the Montreux talks;
5. Welcomes the recent
announcement that President Clerides and Mr. Denktash will meet to discuss
security issues, including demilitarisation of the island, and in this
context draws attention to the excessive build-up of arms on the island;
urges both parties to exercise the utmost restraint with regard to military
deployment;
6. Recognises that
there are Turkish Cypriot voices which oppose Mr. Denktash and appeals to
the Government of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot community to continue to
look for a peaceful and just solution to the Cyprus issue in accordance
with UN Security Council resolutions;
7. Reminds the Turkish
Government that constructive relations between Turkey and the EU depend
partly on the Turkish Government's policy on Cyprus;
8. Calls on the Union
and on all Member States to maintain firm pressure on Turkey to contribute
positively to a just solution of the Cyprus problem and to ensure that they
facilitate the commencement of accession negotiation with Cyprus by the
beginning of 1998;
9. Notes the role that
the United States can play in contributing to a just solution of the Cyprus
problem;
10. Instructs its
President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the
Governments of the Member States, Cyprus, and Turkey, and the United
Nations Secretary-General.
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