YouSaid · the spoken record

GLAFCOS CLERIDES

lines on the record: 188
first: 1993-09-24
most recent: 2001-09-24
sittings or episodes: 8
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Boutros Boutros-Ghali, described in his report to the Security Council the occupied area of Cyprus as one of the most militarized areas in the world. United Nations resolutions for the return of the refugees to their homes under conditions of safety were not implemented, not only because Turkish forces prevented the refugees from returning, but also because Turkey, violating other provisions of United Nations resolutions calling on all parties concerned to avoid any action to change the demographic composition of the population of Cyprus, imported to Cyprus thousands of illegal settlers from Turkey, usurped the properties of the refugees and installed settlers in them.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Security Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and non- recognition of the Turkish Cypriot breakaway entity were violated by Turkey, which is the only State which recognized the Turkish Cypriot secessionist entity, and which sustains it financially and militarily. As regards Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, calling for the speedy withdrawal of all foreign armed forces and personnel from the Republic of Cyprus, not only have the Turkish armed forces and personnel not been withdrawn, but they have been 4 increased and upgraded, to such an extent that the previous Secretary-General, Mr.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In this connection, Cyprus has suffered for more than 24 years the grave consequences of the Turkish invasion and the continuing occupation of more than one third of its territory. Despite the pronounced will of the international community through numerous resolutions and the willingness of the Greek Cypriot side to negotiate in good faith, no solution of the Cyprus problem has resulted. It is, therefore, reasonable to ask why. The answer is: It is because of the non-implementation and flagrant violation of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions by Turkey. I feel that it is necessary to give some examples of these flagrant violations which prevented solution of the Cyprus problem.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I should emphasize in this respect that, in spite of the difficult situation we face because of the presence of an occupation army force of 36,000 troops, Cyprus has decided to sign the Convention as an expression of our determination to join the forces struggling to eliminate this utterly cruel method of war. We are grateful to Canada for promising to finance the undertaking to clear the minefields along the ceasefire line in our country. The United Nations has a special role to play in the promotion of the well-being of small States. Small States are often exposed to a much greater degree than larger States to threats because of increased vulnerability of their environment and security.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Cyprus joined in the worldwide rejoicing over the agreement of last April concerning Northern Ireland. It is important for the sides to honour their responsibilities and meet their commitments. We condemn acts of violence, which should not be allowed to block the road to peace, reconciliation and prosperity. Cyprus supports strongly the efforts in the area of arms control and disarmament. Since my last appearance before this body, we have ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention; we have also signed, and will soon ratify, the Convention on anti-personnel mines.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Cyprus, a neighbouring State with close relations to the parties involved, reiterates its support for the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement based on the relevant United Nations resolutions. I would like to reiterate my country?s support for the documents adopted at the General Assembly special session on the world drug problem and for the relevant efforts of the United Nations. Cyprus welcomes the recent report of the Secretary- General on the situation in Africa. His recommendations merit serious consideration and support by the international community. We believe that the international community should redouble its efforts towards assisting African countries, with special attention given to debt relief, so that they can avoid further instability and the danger of marginalization.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Their plight calls not only for international cooperation in providing protection and humanitarian assistance, but also for addressing the root causes of displacement. We continue to believe that the best solution is the return of refugees to their homes in conditions of safety, with full protection of their human rights. Cyprus condemns terrorism, which it considers a menace to humanity, requiring effective international action and solutions on the basis of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The situation in the Middle East continues to be characterized by lack of progress and obstacles to the implementation of the peace accords. The current stalemate poses a threat to the stability of the region.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Kofi 3 Annan, to streamline the operations of the Organization in a way that assures its ability to pursue its goals, meet new challenges and safeguard its financial position. We stress once more the importance of restructuring the Security Council to make it more representative and transparent. Cyprus welcomes the adoption of the Statute of a permanent International Criminal Court, empowering it to bring to justice the perpetrators of most serious crimes and violations of humanitarian law. In this respect, we consider the first-ever judgement by the international criminal court for Rwanda on the crime of genocide a very important step. Of special concern is the rising number of refugees and internally displaced persons.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Despite adversities of all kinds, caused particularly by opposing national interests, violent conflicts, natural disasters and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the United Nations has pursued consistently the noble goals enshrined in its Charter, first and foremost the elimination of the scourge of war and the achievement of economic development. To be realistic, however, the hopes of mankind for a new and genuinely just international legal and political order, generated by the demise of the bipolar world, are yet to be realized. Cyprus reaffirms its commitment to work closely with the other members of the Organization for the attainment of our common goals. We support, therefore, the reform efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of this body. I have no doubt that your diplomatic experience and proven leadership will guide us successfully in our work. Allow me also to thank your predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko of Ukraine, for the determined leadership with which he steered the work of the fifty- second session. The United Nations, being the primary vehicle for the pursuit of world peace, has striven throughout its existence to make the world a better place to live in.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In conclusion, may I reassure the Assembly — and indeed the world community — of my country’s dedication to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, as well as emphasize our determination to spare no effort in working, in concert with other nations, for the prevalence of justice, peace, progress and stability in the volatile region that is our part of the world.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Certain steps were agreed in the presence of the resident Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General that we believe will contribute towards the desired progress in the efforts to solve this humanitarian problem. The hopes and expectations of all — especially the relatives of the missing persons — centre on the implementation of what was agreed in a true spirit of humanitarian principles and practice. However, the agreement I reached with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Denktash, will prove of little use if the third member of the Committee on Missing Persons is not appointed. It also is my earnest view that the work of the Committee on Missing Persons will be greatly assisted and expedited if experienced investigators are appointed to assist it in its task.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Before I conclude allow me to refer to a matter which is of great importance to my Government. This is the issue of missing persons in Cyprus. My Government considers this issue a purely humanitarian one whose solution is long overdue. All efforts should be made so that the legitimate rights of the families to be informed in a convincing and conclusive manner about the fate of their loved ones are fully respected by all concerned. This also includes the right to a decent burial for the missing persons who are proved to be dead. In this spirit, I recently had two meetings in Cyprus with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Rauf Denktash.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Let me assure this body once again that my Government will continue to work with the Secretary- General in his efforts to find a solution based on a State of Cyprus with a single sovereignty and international personality and a single citizenship, with its independence 4 and territorial integrity safeguarded and comprising two politically equal communities, as described in the relevant Security Council resolutions, in a bi-communal and bi-zonal federation, and that such settlement must exclude union, in whole or in part, with any other country or any form of partition or secession. At this point I wish to express the gratitude of the Government and the people of Cyprus to all those countries that have been assisting and supporting the Secretary- General’s efforts.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The question of Cyprus has been on the agenda of the United Nations for too long. A momentum has been created for the solution of the Cyprus problem as a result of the renewed efforts of the United Nations, strongly supported by the international community. Let us not miss this opportunity. It is clear by now where the attention of the Security Council and the international community should be focused. It should use all the means in its power to persuade the Turkish side to abandon its intransigent position.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I believe that my proposal, if accepted by the other side, may open the way for substantive progress towards a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question and the restoration of respect for the human rights of the people of Cyprus, which have been grossly violated for the last 23 years. To my Turkish Cypriot compatriots I wish to say this: Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will live in Cyprus for centuries to come. We must live as friends and as citizens of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federal Republic, respecting each other’s ethnic origins, traditions, culture and religion and the equal political status of our respective communities. We must also be citizens of the European Union. This will give us greater security and prosperity, both for our respective communities and for Cyprus, our country.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We will not tie our hands behind our backs and allow the Turkish air force to bomb our towns and villages at will — as it has done in the past — without the ability to defend ourselves. If it is again necessary for our forces to take the battlefield, never again will they do so without adequate protection from air attacks by the Turkish air force. During the talks in Glion, in an attempt to assist the peace process, I proposed to Mr. Denktash that both leaders should make a declaration denouncing the use of force as a means of solving the Cyprus problem and should agree to work for a specific programme of reduction of military forces and equipment and a programme for demilitarizing the island and limiting the importation of arms.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Last year we pledged before this body our commitment to do everything in our power to help the Secretary-General of our Organization succeed in his renewed efforts in the search for a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. I believe that we have honoured our pledge to the full. I wish to reiterate our commitment to continue our constructive attitude, despite our disappointment. However, I wish to make it abundantly clear that we cannot and we will not relinquish our inalienable right to defend our country and to decide about our armaments. As long as the Turkish threat emanating from the continued aggression and occupation of 37 per cent of the territory of the Republic exists, we have not only the right but also the duty to provide for the security of the people of Cyprus.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“There was a barrage of threatening statements against Cyprus, in direct violation of international law, and in particular of the United Nations resolutions on Cyprus, which, inter alia, call for the respect of the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus and the withdrawal of all foreign troops. The Turkish side continues to threaten to annex to Turkey the territory of the Republic occupied by Turkish forces if the European Union commences accession negotiations with Cyprus, and to use force against the Republic of Cyprus to prevent the implementation of the agreement to buy and instal in Cyprus the S-300 defensive ground-to-air missile system.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I fully share the disappointment of the Security Council at the absence of progress during the Glion talks, despite the interest shown by the international community, and more particularly by those countries that had their representatives in the wings observing the talks. The clear conclusion to be drawn, however, is that more active involvement of the international community, and in particular of those who are in the wings of the talks, is needed if the talks are to produce results. After the end of the talks, Mr. Denktash and Ankara continued to maintain the same negative attitude.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is with great regret that once again in addressing the General Assembly I have to report that no progress has been made towards the solution of the Cyprus problem due to the inflexibility of the Turkish side. 3 The result of this deliberate inflexibility is the perpetuation of the illegal Turkish occupation of 37 per cent of the territory of the Republic by Turkish military forces, the artificial forceful separation of the two communities, the colonization of the occupied area by illegal settlers from Turkey, the refugee problem, the usurpation of the Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied area and the continued blunt violation by the Turkish side of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Any doubts as to the real cause of the failure of the talks to produce results on the substantive aspects of the Cyprus problem were dissolved by the unanimous verdict of the international community, pronounced last 20 August by the President of the Security Council in a statement to the press after the briefing by Mr. Cordovez on the outcome of the talks in Glion. In the statement, our positive attitude and cooperation was commended, whereas the Turkish Cypriot side was blamed for impeding substantive progress by the attempt to bring in preconditions to the table. The same verdict was reached by the European Union, which also rejected any link between the talks and the start of the European Union’s accession negotiations with Cyprus.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Denktas¸ refused to hold any discussions on the substance of the Cyprus problem unless the European Union froze its plans for accession talks with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, which were in accordance with the European decision of 6 March 1995. Mr. Denktas¸ even threatened that if the European Union decided to proceed with Cyprus’ application he would not negotiate at all in the future. It was therefore abundantly clear that the other side did not go to the talks with the aim of finding a solution to the problem, but in an attempt to impede Cyprus’ European Union accession process.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Despite this enormous provocation, we reacted in a low key in order to avoid tension which would affect adversely the climate of the talks. During the talks we worked hard and cooperated constructively with Mr. Cordovez, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, with the sole aim of breaking the impasse and moving forward to reverse the status quo created and maintained by Turkey since 1974 by the use of force and declared unacceptable by numerous Security Council resolutions. In contrast, the response of the other side was completely negative. Despite our constructive attitude, despite the efforts of Mr. Cordovez and those of other interested countries through their representatives, Mr.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Kofi Annan last June to attend face-to-face talks with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community in Troutbeck and later in Glion, we responded positively and demonstrated our sincere and unwavering commitment to the peace process as the only means of solving the Cyprus question, and our will to work for a comprehensive, just and viable solution. Our will was tested even harder when, on the eve of the talks, Turkey and the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognized internationally except by Turkey, signed an illegal agreement purporting to lead to the annexation by Turkey of the areas occupied by the Turkish forces if the European Union proceeded to accession negotiations with Cyprus.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“As to the question of Cyprus, 1997 has been a year of intense diplomatic activity, culminating in face-to-face intercommunal talks under the auspices of the United Nations last July and August in Troutbeck and Glion, respectively. The resumption of the talks was the result of the untiring efforts of the Secretary-General, encouraged and actively supported by the international community. The Security Council closely pursued the developments on the question of Cyprus, and nine individual countries appointed special representatives on Cyprus. The European Union, through the Special Representative of the Presidency, was also following developments closely. When invited by Mr.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We welcome the developments on the question of Western Sahara and the agreement reached on the implementation of the settlement plan under the auspices of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy. We hope that these positive achievements will move the peace process forward and bring a final settlement to this long drawn-out situation of tension and conflict. Despite our earlier hopes based on the peace agreement, the current events in the Middle East and the worsening situation in the occupied territories are cause for great concern. As a neighbouring country, we wish to reiterate our support for the efforts to achieve peace in the area on the basis of the agreements reached and of the relevant United Nations resolutions.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We believe in the United Nations and in the Charter, not as an abstract ideal, but as a functioning, indispensable, concrete entity. The principles and ideals of the United Nations have formed the cornerstone of our foreign policy since our independence and membership in the United Nations. We are fully committed to strengthening the Organization by helping it tackle its 2 precarious financial position, streamline and rationalize its operations and exploit to the full its uniqueness and its unrivalled expertise. We are confident that the Organization will be able to harness the forces of change in ways that will benefit us all. This year the United Nations has been especially active on certain long-outstanding issues such as East Timor, Western Sahara, the situation in the Middle East and Cyprus.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this respect, we fully support the establishment of the international criminal court, which we have long advocated, and welcome the progress made in the Preparatory Committee and the increased momentum towards its fruition. Though local and ethnic conflicts still persist, seriously affecting the maintenance of international peace and security, the role of the Organization in disarmament for the past twelve months has been marked by great steps. A number of significant conventions have already been concluded or have entered into force. In welcoming these achievements we feel we must continue to move ahead for their full and effective implementation. We must also cherish the Organization’s contribution to development and education, its work against hunger and illiteracy and, in short, its role in restoring and upholding human dignity.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The United Nations of the future must give most urgent priority to the Agenda for Development. Any modern concept of international peace must recognize that peace, security and development are indivisible. It is indisputable that one of the major strengths of the United Nations is its universality. It is at once global, regional and locally based. It has achieved great results in the fields of international interaction. Its activities have a tremendous effect on our everyday lives. At this juncture, I should commend and stress the important role of the Organization in the promotion of full respect for and universal application of human rights, as well as for the progressive development and codification of international law.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This is a great step forward because, as the Secretary-General himself states in his report on the work of the Organization, it addresses not only the conventional development issues but also stresses the mutually supportive though complex relationships among development, peace, democracy, good governance and human rights. Equally important was the convening of the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly to review the implementation of Agenda 21 — the global plan of action for sustainable development — which was adopted five years ago at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. I believe that an important part of the future work of this Organization will lie in following up the work done at the major conferences and in reviewing the implementation of the plans and programmes they adopted.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this regard, we welcome the progress already achieved in the working methods of the Security Council and expect further steps towards transparency and democratization. A number of proposals have been put forward by Member States over the last three years. Further deliberations are required, however, to achieve an agreement that would command the general support of the membership of the Organization. An important step this year concerns the work of the Organization in the field of international economic and social cooperation. After three years of hard deliberation, the General Assembly adopted its Agenda for Development last June.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The reforms are being introduced at a time when it is generally acknowledged that the High-Level Working Groups mandated by the General Assembly to examine specific issues, from the restructuring and strengthening of the main United Nations organs to ensuring a firmer and lasting financing for our Organization, have yet to achieve substantial progress. From this rostrum, I have stated before that we subscribe to the need to reform the Security Council by making it representative of the increase in the membership of the United Nations and reflect the changes in the post- cold-war world. We consider the need to reform the Security Council a top priority, for it directly affects its capacity to discharge its cardinal responsibility — that of maintaining international peace and security.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Last July, the Secretary- General presented to us a comprehensive package of reforms designed to help the Organization rationalize and streamline its operations, secure its financial position and refocus itself to meet the changes in the global order, thus allowing the United Nations to fully utilize the strengths and expertise it already possesses. We are therefore particularly pleased to welcome these proposals by the Secretary-General. We hope that, by the conclusion of the debate on this issue that will take place in the plenary during this session, we shall reach a consensus, thus creating the necessary momentum for their speedy implementation, and produce concrete results before we reach the new millennium.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Our Organization, with its universal membership, comprehensive mandate and broad spectrum of activities, is the only global forum able to pursue and achieve the universal goals we all strive for: a secure and peaceful future, a narrowing of the gap between rich and poor, full respect for human rights, free and equitable trade, the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development. I am pleased once again to be able to take this opportunity to renew our commitment to the ideals and aims that all of us here share. This year is a landmark in the reform process of the United Nations because of the active measures taken by the Secretary-General of our Organization to tackle long- standing and deep-rooted issues.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I would like to begin by extending to you, Sir, my warmest congratulations on your election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-second session. We are certain that your long experience and diplomatic skills will guide us successfully in our work at this session of the General Assembly. I would also like to thank your predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia, for the determined leadership with which he steered our work at the fifty- first session.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“All efforts should therefore be exerted by the Security Council, and by all those in a position to do so, to bring about a real change in Turkey’s attitude. The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations has highlighted the need to maintain and reinforce our faith and that of future generations in our Organization. Implementation of United Nations decisions will go a long way towards achieving this lofty goal.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The question of Cyprus continues to be such a case of accountability, due to the refusal of Turkey to implement solemn Security Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for, among other things, the respect of the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus, the withdrawal of all foreign troops, the return of the refugees to their homes and lands, the respect of the demographic composition of the Republic and the restoration of the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Cyprus. In fact, not only has Turkey not implemented these resolutions, but it has grossly violated them. Even the immense humanitarian problem of the missing persons remains unresolved, perpetuating the tragedy of their relatives.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“While we hope to keep accession negotiations to the timetable already foreseen, we earnestly desire to reach a solution to our problem before accession. At the beginning of my statement, I spoke of the need to reform and strengthen our Organization. From this rostrum, I have repeatedly underlined the importance of honouring the commitments we enter into and of implementing the decisions we take. I have stressed how essential it is to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter and to hold to full account those who violate them.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“On the one hand, they destroy the credibility of the negotiating process, and on the other, they keep the attention of the international community focused on the intercommunal constitutional aspect of the problem, thus overshadowing the real issue — the invasion and continued occupation, for 22 years, of substantial territory of the Republic of Cyprus by the Turkish forces. We, for our part, will continue to do everything in our power to help the Secretary-General of our Organization to succeed in his renewed efforts, through his newly appointed Special Representative, in the search for a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. At the same time the Government of the Republic of Cyprus will pursue its application for membership in the European Union, because such membership will have benefits for both communities.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Such settlement must exclude union, in whole or in part, with any other country or any form of partition or secession. The security of both communities is a crucial issue, which would be helpful in finding a solution. It will be necessary to devise effective guarantees; demilitarization and the stationing in Cyprus of an international force will also be required. Demilitarization represents an important contribution to this settlement. We are prepared to embark on face-to-face negotiations in 1997 once the ground has been sufficiently prepared to ensure success. We are not, however, willing, 3 after 22 years of negotiations that have yielded no results on the main issues of the problem, to embark on another round of fruitless talks.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The time has come to make a further determined and sustained effort to solve the Cyprus problem. To that end, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus will be working earnestly and imaginatively with the United Nations Special Representative and with all others supporting its efforts to prepare the ground for negotiations on the main outstanding issues. Any settlement of the Cyprus problem should be based on a State of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, an international personality and a single citizenship. Its independence and territorial integrity must be safeguarded, and it must be composed of two politically equal communities, as described in the relevant Security Council resolutions, in a bicommunal and bi-zonal federation.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“These events only highlight the need to expedite and increase efforts to find a just, lasting and workable solution to the Cyprus problem. We are encouraged by the rekindled interest and more active engagement of the international community in the Cyprus problem, as witnessed by the appointments of Special Representatives from interested countries, including the appointment of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Mr. Han Sung-Joo. We welcome all initiatives set out to reinforce the United Nations in the search for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus question. Various United Nations resolutions, and the United Nations Secretary-General himself, have declared the present status quo in Cyprus unacceptable, a view shared by the international community.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“This sinister plan was aimed at demonstrating that the two communities cannot live peacefully together in Cyprus and therefore separatist and partitionist solutions should be sought. While we mourn and condemn the brutal murder of the two unarmed Greek Cypriot protesters, we also feel sorry for the subsequent killing of a Turkish soldier and the wounding of another. We regret the haste with which the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Denktas¸, attempted to attribute responsibility for this killing to the Greek Cypriot side before an independent United Nations investigation published its findings. The recent tragic events, however, will not cause us to waver from our commitment to seek a peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem through negotiations, as provided by the United Nations resolutions.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Two United Nations reports on these tragic incidents state clearly that the responsibility lies with Turkey and the illegal Turkish-Cypriot regime, which used excessive and unwarranted force against unarmed demonstrators who were simply trying to remind the world that for 22 years Cyprus has remained a divided country whose people are still prevented by the Turkish occupation forces from returning to their homes and lands and from moving freely in their country. Furthermore, it has by now become abundantly clear that the Turkish action was orchestrated well in advance and involved the import from Turkey of 3,000 terrorists belonging to the Gray Wolves organization with the goal of provoking bloody confrontation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Recent events in Cyprus have highlighted this clear danger as well as the urgent need to implement our demilitarization proposal. This year’s twenty-second anniversary of the invasion and occupation of substantial territory of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkish forces was marked by the brutal killings of two Greek-Cypriot unarmed demonstrators, witnessed on television screens by the entire world, and the wounding of many others, including two United Nations peace-keepers, by the Turkish occupation troops and Turkish extremists imported from mainland Turkey to the occupied part of the island.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It is in this spirit that we proposed, as part of a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem, the complete demilitarization of the Republic of Cyprus, in which we have offered to disband the National Guard of Cyprus and hand over all weapons to an international force in exchange for the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops, as demanded by the relevant United Nations resolutions. This body is familiar with the Secretary-General’s report which characterizes the northern occupied part of Cyprus as one of the most densely militarized areas in the world. The presence of 35,000 Turkish troops and hundreds of tanks and other armaments constitutes a clear and present danger to peace and security in Cyprus and in the region.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“While recognizing that much more needs to be done in the realm of conventional weapons, we are encouraged by the progress made during the review of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or To Have Indiscriminate Effects and the agreement on Guidelines for international arms transfers at this year’s United Nations Disarmament Commission’s session. We fully share the view espoused by many that arms control and disarmament are and will continue to be 2 essential components of international security, contributing to confidence-building and conflict resolution.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“There is need for further systematic and progressive effort in order to achieve our ultimate goal of the elimination of nuclear weapons and of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. Another important development in the field of disarmament and arms control is progress achieved towards the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Cyprus is in the final stages of ratifying this Convention. It is our hope that it will soon enter into force.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“My country is fully committed to the universal application and promotion of these principles. Another area of particular concern to Member States is arms control and disarmament. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the nuclear non-proliferation regime has been further strengthened by the indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We warmly welcome the adoption by the General Assembly of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty. This represents the international community’s determination to bring to completion one of the most sought-after nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament measures in the history of the United Nations. But the Treaty is not the end of the process.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)