Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement regarding the announcement by the Turkish President on the declassification of part of the fenced-off area of Varosha and on changing its status, in violation of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council

Greece condemns in the strongest terms today’s announcement by the turkish side on the declassification of part of the fenced-off area of Varosha.

This announcement is a blatant violation of the Resolutions 550 (1984) AND 789 (1992) of the UN Security Council, as well as of the Conclusions of the European Council, which call on Turkey to refrain from unilateral and provocative actions that destabilize the region.

We strongly emphasize the need to maintain the status of the fenced-off area of Varosha and we call on Turkey to respect the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, such as resolutions 550 (1984), 789 (1992) and 1251 (1999).

Greece, in full coordination with the Republic of Cyprus, remains committed to a resolution of the Cyprus issue on the basis of a Bi-communal, Bi-zonal Federation, as defined in the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and compatible with the principles of the European Union. We call on Turkey, a candidate country for EU accession, to respect these principles.