THE COUNCIL of Europe’s parliamentary president Mevlut Cavusoglu yesterday met with Cypriot leaders as part of a three-day official visit, putting a shiny gloss over recent flare-ups between Turkish and Cypriot officials over the existence of the Cyprus Republic.
The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) met with President Demetris Christofias, House President Marios Garoyian and Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou.
Speaking after his meeting with Garoyian, Cavusoglu said this was his second visit to Cyprus in six months, adding that he hoped on his next visit a solution will have been found. Echoing Council of Europe resolutions on Cyprus, he voiced his support for a fair and viable comprehensive Cyprus solution, one which will bring peace and unification and guarantee the legal rights of all Cypriots based on the values and principles of the Council of Europe.
Cavusoglu said he supported continuation of the latest peace efforts, noting the encouraging progress already made in terms of the opening of the Ledra Street crossing and greater cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
The PACE president referred to the issue of missing persons, commending the recent progress of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), adding, however, that more needed to be done to establish the fate of those still unaccounted for.
“So, PACE urges all sides to make a greater effort to support the CMP” and avoid politicisation of the issue, he said.
“This is a very sensitive issue for us, there are missing in many regions of the member states, including Cyprus,” he added.
He noted that the Council of Europe’s decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers, has highlighted its satisfaction with Turkey’s efforts on this issue.
The Turkish official called on both communities to make use of the Council of Europe’s practical knowledge on issues relating to the environment, cultural heritage, health, criminal cases, protection of human rights, combating intolerance, protection of minorities, trafficking, education and gender equality.
During lunch hosted by the House President, Garoyian noted that Cyprus joined the Council of Europe in 1961, adding that no one could forget the support given to Cyprus by the body after 1974.
“Neither can the importance of the relevant decisions of the European Court of Human Rights be underestimated,” he said.
Kyprianou said the two talked about areas where PACE could provide assistance such as the issue of missing persons, cultural heritage and a population census in the occupied areas.
“These issue can be promoted by PACE, contributing through that to the Cyprus peace process,” Kyprianou said.
Cavusoglu arrived at Larnaca Airport on Sunday, where he was met by Garoyian and taken on a tour of the Hala Sultan Tekke and Church of Saint Lazaros in Larnaca. Yesterday morning, after a working breakfast with ambassadors of member states of the Council of Europe and meetings with senior state officials, he had an unscheduled meeting with DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades at his Nicosia hotel.
Anastassiades told reporters he sought explanations for Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bagis’ recent comments in Brussels, questioning the existence of the Cyprus Republic. He said Cavusoglu explained it as a misunderstanding over his comments, repeating Ankara’s readiness to find a solution as soon as possible.
The PACE president said he would pass on to the Turkish Prime Minister Anastassiades’ message that Turkey should get directly involved in the negotiation process.
The DISY leader congratulated him for his conduct, and hoped that the Turkish Republic could also respect those that hold institutional positions in either the EU or Council of Europe.
Later that evening Cavusoglu crossed to the north, where he stayed at a hotel in the occupied part of Nicosia. He is scheduled to meet with senior leaders in the Turkish Cypriot community, including Dervis Eroglu.
Before leaving this afternoon, he will have a round-table meeting with Archbishop Chrysostomos II and Turkish Cypriot religious leader Mehmet Emin Yeltekin at the Ledra Palace.
