Ankara rejects UN Security Council's statement on Varosha

Turkey's Foreign Ministry on July 23 rejected the U.N. Security Council's statement as well as "unfounded claims" of several countries on reopening of Maras in Turkish Cyprus.

"We reject the Presidential Statement made by the U.N. Security Council on the second phase of the Maraş initiative, announced by the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), H.E. Mr. Ersin Tatar, on 20 July 2021, as well as the statements from various countries which are based on unfounded claims and inconsistent with the realities on the Island," the ministry said in a statement.

"These statements are based on Greek-Greek Cypriot black propaganda and groundless claims, such as that Maras is not TRNC territory, that the TRNC will confiscate the properties in Maraş and bring settlers there against the property rights," it added.

Noting that Maras is part of Turkish Cyprus, it underlined that the city "has not been opened to settlement and was declared as a military zone as a good will gesture by the TRNC authorities."

Turkey assured that all decisions taken by the TRNC authorities "respect the property rights and are in full compliance with international law."

"Contrary to claims, the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions are not violated," the ministry said.

For its part, the Foreign Ministry of TRNC also slammed the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) statement, saying the decision to use the public areas and removing the military status of a certain part of the fenced-off area of Maras is "in line with international law but also aims to protect the rights of the property owners."

"The wording of the statement of the UNSC Presidency on the 'reopening of the part of the fenced-off area of Varosha' is misleading," it said,...