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Turkish President Erdoğan: Visit to the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus
Photo: TURKISH PRESIDENT PRESS OFFICE HANDOUT / EPA
Turkey's approach to the Cyprus conflict has met with international criticism.
Now the UN Security Council has condemned Ankara's course.
During a visit to the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pushed ahead with plans to open the ghost town of Varosha and advocated continued division of the island.
The most powerful body of the United Nations agreed on Friday on a joint statement in which it says that "any attempt to colonize part of Varosha by persons other than its residents" is inadmissible.
No actions should be taken that contradict UN resolutions.
The Turkish-controlled coastal town of Varosha is located directly on the UN buffer zone between the Turkish northern and Greek southern parts of the Mediterranean island.
According to international agreements, the haunted place where Greek Cypriots once lived may only be repopulated under a UN mandate.
"The Security Council emphasizes the importance of full compliance and implementation of its resolutions, including the handover of Varosha to the UN administration," reads the British-drafted text, which was available to the AFP news agency.
China and India wanted to tighten their position
The declaration was supposed to be officially adopted by the Security Council on Friday, but this was only a formality after the text had been agreed.
Negotiations on the text had dragged on since Wednesday - not, however, as usual, to soften the declaration, but to tighten it.
India and China are committed to this.
For decades, UN representatives have failed to negotiate to overcome the division of Cyprus.
Ankara sees no more chance of reunification and instead calls for the establishment of two independent states.
In turn, neither the Greek Cypriots nor the EU or the UN want that.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974.
At that time, the Turkish army occupied the north after a military coup by the Greek Cypriots.
Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004, but European law is suspended in the northern part of the island until the conflict is resolved.
The UN has been trying for a long time to mediate, so far without success.
Turkey is the only state that recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was proclaimed in 1983.
asc / dpa / AFP
