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Turkey's Illegal Policy of Colonization in Cyprus
In the part of Cyprus occupied by the Turkish army, Turkey’s Government has, since 1974, implemented a policy of systematic colonisation in order to change the demographic character of the island. According to reports confirmed in both the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot press, these settlers come from the Turkish mainland and are of Turkish citizenship. Today in the occupied part of Cyprus there are about 150,000 - 160,000 settlers. There is of course, also, a presence of 35,000 Turkish occupation troops. Over the
same period, a total of 55,000 Turkish Cypriots emigrated from Cyprus. In fact the number of Turkish Cypriots in the occupied part of Cyprus has actually fallen from 116,000 in 1974 down to 89,000 at present. A natural population increase would have brought this figure up to 153,578.
The main Turkish objectives in adopting this policy of colonization in the occupied part of Cyprus appear to be the following:
(1) To distort the population balance on the Island between Turks and Greeks in order to attempt and justify the claims of the Turkish side regarding the territorial and constitutional aspects of the Cyprus Problem.
(2) To shift the balance of political power in the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus and ensure that the Turkish Cypriot leadership is kept in line with the policy of the Turkish Government.
(3) To influence elections held in the occupied areas in favour of the Turkish Cypriot nationalist leadership and thus maintain an obstacle to a solution of the Cyprus problem.
(4) To provide additional trained reserves for the Turkish military forces in Cyprus.
(5) To change the population balance in the entire island so that in the long run Turkish Cypriots and Turkish settlers outnumber the Greek Cypriots.
Turkey’s policy of colonization in Cyprus is contrary to the 1960 Treaty of Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, signed between the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus. Annex D to the Treaty governs Cyprus’ citizenship and makes it impossible and unlawful for either Community to upset the demographic balance by bringing in large numbers of ethnic Turks or Greeks and contend that they were of Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot descent and therefore entitled to come to Cyprus. Section 4,
paragraph. 7, imposes quotas regarding the grant of citizenship to persons who had emigrated to Greece, Turkey or the British Commonwealth having before 1955 been resident in Cyprus, or who were descended from Ottoman subjects resident in Cyprus in 1914.
The fact that the occupied part of Cyprus has been subjected to systematic settlement from Turkey was reported on by Mr. Alfred Cuco, Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Migration Refugees and Demography, 28 February 1992, AS/PR (43) 39. Currently, pursuant to a Motion for an Order, the Committee is again examining the situation created by the massive influx of settlers and Mr. Jaakko Laakso, the new Rapporteur, is expected to report on the issue.
Exploitation of Maronite Properties in Occupied Cyprus
The Turkish military invasion in 1974 resulted in the occupation of all the Maronite villages, namely Kormakitis, Assomatos, Ayia Marina and Karpasha. Subsequently, the vast majority of the Maronite community was displaced from its historical and cultural localities. Today, about 98% of the community are refuges and are located in the areas controlled by the Cyprus Government.
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President Christofias: G/C side’s proposal for a census in the whole of Cyprus addresses the issue of the illegal settlers
The comprehensive proposal that the Greek Cypriot side has submitted at the talks for a census in the whole of Cyprus will address the issue of the illegal settlers on the basis of the international law and the international conventions, the President of the Republic Mr Demetris Christofias states, noting that Turkish Cypriot side’s stance on the issue should cause concern to the UN and to the international community.
The proposal provides for both communities to invite the United Nations Population Fund or any other international organization which will be agreed, such as the Council of Europe or the OSCE, to organize, monitor and carry out a simultaneous census in the whole of Cyprus. The census will be carried out on the basis of the internationally recognised regulations and will comply with the specifications of the United Nations Population Fund, he said, adding that both communities will assign independent experts to
carry out the census, and the United Nations Population Fund will reconfirm and announce the results of the census.
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