On
Cyprus UN Regrets Turkish
Cypriot Tax on Aid, Still-Restricted
Press Published July 4
Script
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
UNITED NATIONS,
October 6 – After the Cyprus
talks collapsed at Crans
Montana in Switzerland in
early July, on August 3 Inner
City Press asked the UN when
its Special Adviser Espen
Barth Eide was quitting. It
happened on August 15 - he has
still not been replaced as of
October 6 - and at noon on
August 15 Inner City Press
asked UN spokesman Stephane
Dujarric, “Is there any UN
role during the upcoming
General Assembly week to try
to get it back on track?
And does the Secretary-General
take note of various
statements since it fell
apart?” Video here,
UN transcript here
and below. Now on October 6,
Dujarric has issued this
statement: "“At 10:50 am on 4
October, an UNFICYP vehicle
carrying humanitarian supplies
departed Nicosia for Greek
Cypriot communities in the
Karpas, as has been regular
practice for close to four
decades. UNFICYP was obliged
to limit today’s delivery to
medical aid supplies,
following the Turkish Cypriot
administration’s unilateral
decision to impose taxes and
fees on other humanitarian
goods. UNFICYP regrets the
decision taken by the Turkish
Cypriot administration, which
it considers to be an
unfortunate development. The
Mission’s role of delivering
humanitarian assistance to
Greek Cypriot and Maronite
communities in the northern
part of the island is based on
a longstanding agreement
between the sides known as
Vienna III, and provides
hundreds of elderly and other
vulnerable people with basic
supplies on a weekly basis.
UNFICYP stands ready to assist
the sides to reach a mutually
acceptable solution, with the
interests of the affected
communities in mind."
What impact will this have?
Back on August 15 Dujarric
replied that “The
Secretary-General was clear in
his comments in Crans-Montana
that he remains available
should the parties come to
him. I'm sure that
Cyprus will be one of the many
issues that will be discussed
in the Secretary-General's
various bilaterals that he
will have during the General
Assembly.” As Secretary
General Antonio Guterres has
been petitioned
by more than 2,000 people,
Inner City Press remains
restricted in its movements
and access in the UN, for
having covered the Ng Lap Seng
UN bribery scandal in the UN
Press Briefing Room. These
restrictions remain
in place 18 months later, even
with the 2017 General Assembly
high level week a mere month
away. Two days after Inner
City Press published the
two-page July 4, 2017 Eide
“Leaders' Meeting” statement
as leaked to it, scan on Patreon,
below here in full, it asked
Guterres' deputy spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner
City Press: I actually have a
follow-up on Cyprus. It was
leaked to Inner City Press a
document called Leaders
Meeting 4.7.2017, which
purports to be Mr. Eide
conveying what he understood
from António Guterres,
including by text message,
that, on troops, Mr. Guterres
wanted a reduction to the
level of those under the old
Treaty of Alliance, the levels
of 1960, and any number of
other issues. Given the
importance of the issue, is
that his position? And now
that Mr. Eide’s no longer in
the position, is this his
document? Is this the
final position of the
Secretary-General?
Deputy Spokesman: First
of all, I don’t have any
comment on… on leaked
documents. Second of
all... ultimately, the
positions in a diplomatic
process are ones that will be
evolved through discussions
with the parties themselves. I
wouldn’t have any comment on
what the state of play may
have been four or five months
ago. Diplomatic
processes evolve over time.
Here it is:
“Leaders' Meeting 4.7.2017
Eide: I talked with the UNSG
last night and also this
morning we were texting and
follows closely what is going
on and he is very interested
and of course, as all, he was
a little worried about the
lack of progress.
Based on my conversations with
him, I would like to clarify
the points he raised based on
the conversation I held with
him and his comments.
On security, I think we have
to start recognizing that what
we need is a new security
regime, not the continuation
of the old. I think we need,
as he said, the end of the
unilateral right of
intervention and the end of
the Treaty of Guarantees. The
current situation will be
replaced by a solid system of
assurances where the whole of
Cyprus and all Cypriots of
both communities will feel
secure and by robust
implementation and oversight
mechanisms that will include
an outside element
(international dimension: UN,
multilateral / international /
friendly countries. Current
guarantors cannot implement
and monitor themselves.
On troops, there would be a
rapid reduction from Day 1 to
a low level and then to
numbers equivalent to those in
the old Treaty of Alliance
(timetable to reach the levels
of 1960 and verifying
mechanism to oversight needs
to be agreed). In relation to
sunset clause versus review
clause, this was something
that would need to be
discussed at the highest
level. Need to discuss mandate
/ purpose / SOFA agreement,
obligations and so on.
On territory, the TC side need
to adjust the map presented to
respond to concerns expressed
by GCs regarding some
localities. You need to say
Morphou.
On property there are two
principles: for areas under
territorial adjustment and the
rest regime to be constructed
in a way that would lend
itself to give prevalence to
dispossessed owners but not a
100%, for areas not under
territorial adjustment regime
to be constructed in a way
that would lend itself to give
prevalence to current useers
but not a 100%. Specific
elements to be further
elaborated.
On equivalent treatment, as
regards permanent residence of
Turkish nationals to have a
quota and that should be
equitable to Greek nationals
who become permanent
residents, except the regime
related to students, tourists
and posted workers. Further
discussion is needed on what
is equitable on the
application of permanent
residence.
The issue of effective
participation needs to be
discussed further as regards
the issue of a favorable vote
(when and under which
conditions, which bodies and
the relevant
deadlock-resolving
mechanisms), while any other
remaining elements in
power-sharing, including the
demand of the TC side for
rotating Presidency should
also be discussed.” We'll have
more on this.
***
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