U.N. Security Council Resolution To Extend Peace Force Mission Ignores Cyprus Realities

LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign and Defense Ministry said late on Thursday that the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council resolution to extend peace force mission in Cyprus for six more months ''ignored the realities in Cyprus, political equality of the two peoples and their separate sovereignty.''
A statement of the ministry emphasized that therefore, the decision was not valid and binding for the TRNC government.
The statement criticized the resolution which did not include positive steps taken by TRNC and responded to claims regarding violations in Akyar. ''Akyar is outside the scope of the area of mission of U.N. Peace Force,'' it read.
The introduction paragraph of the resolution stated that the mandate of the U.N. Peace Force was extended upon the consent of only the Greek Cypriot side referring it as the so-called ''Cyprus Republic government,'' the statement pointed out.
The statement said, ''thus, the resolution once more ignores the realities in Cyprus, political equality and separate sovereignty of the two peoples.''
It was not possible for the TRNC government to accept the resolution valid and binding, the statement said.
The statement noted, ''on the other hand, our government, in principle, regards positive reinforcement of police force working under the auspices of the U.N. Peace Force with additional civilian police due to the intensive work after the transitions between the two sides are freed.''
''Although the resolution touched on the freeing of transitions between TRNC and Greek Cypriot side and the positive atmosphere caused by this move, it was not possible to explain the reason of not stating that this development occurred in the end of unilateral and constructive decision taken by the TRNC government,'' the statement said.
The statement pointed out that additional passage arrangements provided to the U.N. Peace Force with the decision of the TRNC government were ''also ignored.''
Akyar village was within the borders of TRNC, the statement underlined.
The statement said, ''the claims in the resolution that violations were made in Akyar village don't reflect realities. Also, Akyar is outside the scope of mandate of U.N. Peace Force since it is totally in TRNC border and it is not situated in the buffer zone. It is not possible to understand how the efforts of TRNC authorities exerted to establish telephone lines in the region, repair the roads and electricity lines are shown as 'violation.' It is possible to see the exploitation efforts of the Greek Cypriot side which is uneasy about the positive atmosphere caused after the passage was freed.''
Noting that the resolution did not reflect the situation in the island, the statement added, ''in this respect, the resolution can't contribute to positive atmosphere caused to be created in the island and the efforts to build confidence which was started with the initiative of the TRNC in order to reach a lasting compromise between the two sides.''
(BRC-AÖ) 13.06.2003