THE government yesterday said it had protested to the United States about certain aspects of the latest State Department human rights report section on Cyprus.
The protest was conveyed to US ambassador in Cyprus Donald Bandler by Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides at a meeting yesterday.
Cassoulides said the government had problems with the way the report had been drafted, and with the terminology used.
“I pointed to the ambassador some matters which we thought were unfortunate,” he added.
Asked by reporters to elaborate, Cassoulides said the government disliked the way the two sides were compared, but was especially irritated by the part which said the Turkish Cypriot economy is handicapped significantly by an economic embargo imposed by the Greek Cypriots.
The report failed to mention the ruling by the European Court in Luxembourg which regulates the export of produce from the occupied areas.
“There is no embargo,@ Cassoulides said yesterday. AThis is a position supported by (Turkish Foreign Minister) Mr (Ismail) Cem and (Turkish Cypriot leader) Mr (Rauf) Denktash, and we do not accept it.”
“References like these give hope to Denktash that in the end his views concerning two states, invasion, and so on will eventually prevail,” he added.
Replying to a reporter’s remark that Cyprus had protested about the report last year to no avail, Cassoulides said last year the complaint had not been at a foreign ministry level. He refrained from commenting on “issues of essence”, saying the report had not yet been studied in depth.
He said that at first glance it seemed to be Aimproved@ from last year.
This year’s report, among other things, contains a more in-depth study of the enclaved Greek Cypriots’ living conditions, and also notes Ankara’s failure to comply with a judgment by the European Court of Human Rights in a case brought against Turkey by Greek Cypriot Titina Loizidou, whose property lies in the occupied north.
The Loizidou case relates to her right of access and enjoyment of her property.
The European Court Of Human Rights ruled that “the Turkish army exercised effective overall control in northern Cyprus”, and ordered Turkey to pay $915,000 in damages and costs, the report said.
It also alluded to the bad living conditions of around 600 Greek Cypriots and Maronites who remained in the occupied areas after the invasion in 1974.
The enclaved visiting the south have to return to their homes within a designated time or they risk losing their right to return and keep their property.
