PRESS RELEASE
Nikki Sinclaire MEP will today (Sunday 14th October) deliver a speech in Astromeritis, Cyprus after marching to the border and laying a wreath to the victims of the 1974 Turkish Invasion of Cyprus.
In the speech she will call upon the EU to show some worthiness of the Nobel Peace prize it won this week, in part for conflict resolution, by pushing forward to find a just and acceptable solution to all residents of Cyprus.
Ms. Sinclaire called the lack of creidible EU action to date lamentable.
The full text of the speech is all follows:-
Firstly I would like to express my gratitude for inviting me to participate in these activities against the illegal occupation by Turkish forces of this beautiful island.
I pay tribute to the endless devotion, integrity, dignity of the people of Morphou and of the Republic of Cyprus in Fighting for justice, determination to find a just solution, and respect forall the citizens of Cyprus
Such events help raise the awareness of the international community and a strong statement that the illegal occupation of 38% of the land by Turkish forces must never lead to the legal acceptance of a Turkish Cypriot state.
It is a constant embarrassment of the international community that stronger persuasion of Turkey on the matter of the Missing Persons from the 1974 invasion has not emerged.
I am proud to have put my name to an adopted Written Declaration in the European Parliament endorsing the work of the Committee for Missing Persons and its post-conflict role in promoting truth, remembrance and reconciliation in Cyprus;
In 2004 the whole of Cyprus joined the European Union and as we heard from the Foreign Minister last night the acquis communautaire, meaning the rules and laws of the eu has been suspended in the illegally occupied territory.
It was incredibly sad that the free movement of citizens with hindrance afforded to 500 million people across Europe within the eu was not in force yesterday when we were not permitted to visit Morphou without unacceptable conditions.
The EU action to date has been lamentable and it must take a firmer line with one of its candidate countries, Turkey
Especially It's failure to recognise the Republic of Cyprus and the Cypriot Presidency of the EU.
This is intolerable and simply not acceptable from a would be member of an organisation that purports to support Human Rights, justice and dignity. In short Turkey must respect Human Rights and the sovereign reunited nation of Cyprus
A few days ago to mine and many others surprise the European Union was awarded the Nobel peace prize in part for its conflict resolution.
So today, I call upon the EU to show some worthiness of that prize to push forward to find a just and acceptable solution to all residents of Cyprus.
ENDS
.JPG)
