Actions in Strovilia seen as blocking talks

By Jean Christou

TURKISH Cypriot actions at Strovilia are undermining the ongoing UN-led Cyprus talks, Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides warned yesterday.

Cassoulides was speaking at Larnaca airport before leaving for Athens for talks with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou on the Cyprus issue.

In the latest controversy surrounding Strovilia, the government is preparing a written protest to the UN Secretary-general and the Security Council over a visit on Saturday to the disputed village by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Denktash went to the village complete with media entourage on Saturday evening and was briefed by Turkish soldiers at the controversial checkpoint.

“We have done what we need to do,” Cassoulides said.

And in a pointed reference to the government’s opinion that the UN and the international community are not doing enough to return the status quo in the Strovilia area, Cassoulides said: “Those who want to see progress in the Cyprus problem must understand that the continuation of the violation of the status quo at Strovilia is undermining this effort.”

On July 1, only week before the third round of proximity talks in Geneva, Turkish troops moved their positions forward 300-400 metres towards the boundaries of the north of the island has with the British bases of Dhekelia on the island’s south east to block UN access to the north.

The move was in retaliation over the alternation by the Security Council to the Unficyp renewal mandate which removed any say in Unficyp’s presence by the breakaway regime in the north.

In addition to paralysing certain Unficyp movements, the change in the status quo put the village of Strovilia, home to three Greek Cypriot families, inside the Turkish-controlled areas.

The Turkish flag and that of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot regime were also hoisted over the new checkpoint and later the barriers were cemented to the ground indicating that Turkish troops intended the situation to become permanent.

Now with only weeks to go until the fourth round of talks begin in New York on September 12, the Turkish Cypriot leader’s visit is being viewed by the government as a provocation to the talks.

Cassoulides also repeated the government’s view that the credibility of the UN in Cyprus was at stake as a result of the continuing violation of the status quo at Strovilia. He said Denktash’s visit had worsened the situation.

Unficyp has made several protests to the Turkish Cypriot side but has not received any response.

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