In a joint letter signed by major Greek-American organizations, Greek leaders in the United States are urging President Joe Biden to send a clear message to Turkey that Washington will not tolerate further abuse of its sovereignty.
The letter was prompted by the upcoming 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, with Greek leaders taking the opportunity to express to President Biden their concern about the new and the renewed threats facing Cyprus from Tayyip Erdogan.
“We urge you to warn President Erdogan against further aggression against Cyprus and to send a clear message that Turkey will face punitive and severe consequences if further actions are taken against the Republic of Cyprus, which threatens its sovereignty and cause instability. In addition, we strongly urge the United States Government to urge the United Nations to exercise its jurisdiction over Varosha”, the letter said.
The presidents of the ten Greek-American organizations point out that UN Security Council Resolution 550 (1984) explicitly states that an attempt to change the status of Varosha requires the transfer of the region to the United Nations.
In addition, they remind President Biden that the US government reaffirmed its support on October 9, 2020, as it approved the statement of the President of the United Nations Security Council and asked Turkey to withdraw all its plans for Varosha.
In light of this, they are urging the United States to use its position as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to urge the United Nations to exercise its sovereignty over Varosha.
“To this end, we call on your government to ask the United Nations to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 550, under which Varosha would be under UN control”, the letter reads.
Continuing, the leaders of the Greek community link the plans for the opening of Varos with the support expressed by the Turkish side in the solution of the “two states”, which violates the positions of both the United Nations and the American government. In this light, the actions in Varosha are interpreted as a lack of sincere interest in resuming serious talks, which will move within the UN-defined negotiating framework.
At this point, the letter stands on the fact that Turkey has not reversed its last year actions regarding Varosha. For this reason, the Greek-Americans argue that immediate action is needed, which will not be limited to simple rhetoric and criticism of Turkey.
“It is essential that the United States Government and the international community take precautionary measures to prevent further illegal actions of the Turkish expansionism against Cyprus. A failure to act will only encourage President Erdogan to pursue a ‘two-state’ solution in Cyprus, which would be a disaster for the people of Cyprus and not in the interest of the United States. It would be a gross violation of the rule of law and the fundamental principles of the United States and the international community”.
The letter presents the actions for the opening of Varosha and the proposal for the division of the Republic of Cyprus as a combined threat to the national sovereignty of Cyprus, which is equal to the Turkish invasion of 1974.
It is signed by the leaders of AHEPA, AHI, PSEKA, Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America, HALC, Cyprus-American Chamber of Commerce, American-Greek Council of California, Panhellenic Federation of Florida, National Council, Pancyprian Florida.
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