Κοινή επιστολή Οικολόγων ΠΡΑΣΙΝΩΝ και Κυπρίων Πράσινων προς τους Ευρωπαίους Πράσινους σχετικά με τις προκλητικές ενέργειες της τουρκικής ηγεσίας

Οι Οικολόγοι ΠΡΑΣΙΝΟΙ και το Πράσινο κόμμα της Κύπρου, Κίνημα Οικολόγων-Συνεργασία Πολιτών, απέστειλαν κοινή επιστολή την Πέμπτη 27 Σεπτεμβρίου στους Συμπροέδρους της κοινοβουλευτικής ομάδας των Πράσινων στο Ευρωκοινοβούλιο, κκ Σκα Κέλλερ και Φίλιπ Λάμπερτς, και στους Συμπροέδρους του Ευρωπαϊκού Πράσινου Κόμματος κκ Έβελιν Χόιτεμπροϊκ και Τόμας Βάιτζ.

Στην επιστολή αναφέρονται οι προκλητικές ενέργειες της γείτονος, και τεκμηριώνεται το αβάσιμο των τουρκικών διεκδικήσεων εις βάρος Κύπρου και Ελλάδας.

Ζητείται η ενεργή συμπαράσταση των Ευρωπαίων Πράσινων μέσω συγκεκριμένων ενεργειών, δήλωση πλήρους συμπαράστασης σε Κύπρο και Ελλάδα, καταδίκη των παράνομων ενεργειών τους Τουρκίας σε Αιγαίο και Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, και έναρξη διαλόγου βάσει αρχών καλής γειτονίας και βάσει των αρχών του Διεθνούς Δικαίου.

Την επιστολή υπογράφουν οι κκ Χαράλαμπος Θεοπέμπτου, Πρόεδρος των Κυπρίων Πράσινων και Μανώλης Βέμης, Συντονιστής της Εκτελεστικής Γραμματείας των Οικολόγων ΠΡΑΣΙΝΩΝ.

Ακολουθεί το κείμενο της επιστολής:

17/09/2020

Nicosia and Athens                                                                                                          URGENT

Turkey’s aggressive actions, violations and destabilization of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea – the need for solidarity on the face of this EU crisis

1. At a time when peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea seems indeed very fragile, we regrettably face a serious deterioration caused by the escalation of Turkey’s aggressive actions, violations and destabilizing acts and statements which reached new peaks in the last few months.

2. The purpose of this letter, is to brief you on the factual and legal situation, and to ask for the solidarity and support of the European Green Party on the face of this European crisis. We also reach to you, our European green family, having in mind that a Special European Council has been called by the President Charles Michel which will hold a strategic discussion on Turkey between 24 – 25 of September 2020; and ask for a statement by the European Green Party by those dates, expressing solidarity to Cyprus and Greece, condemning Turkey’s aggression and gun-boat diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, and advocating for the peaceful resolution of any maritime delimitation issues through a principles’ based dialogue or international arbitration on the basis of international law.

3. This communication covers the following areas:

• The legal and factual situation from 2004 until 18 months ago (par. 4 or this communication).

• Turkey’s aggressive escalation in the last 18 months (par 5 – 7 of this communication).

• Recent responses by EU institutions (par. 8 of this communication).

• A call for European solidarity on the face of this European crisis (par. 9 – 13 of this communication) and request for a statement of support by the EGP.

The legal and factual situation from 2004 until 18 months ago

4. We believe you are familiar with the general legal and factual situation, but please allow us to remind the following:

• The Republic of Cyprus, a member-party of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (‘UNCLOS’), proclaimed its Exclusive Economic Zone (‘EEZ’) in 2004; and in line with the UNCLOS which reflects customary international law it has so far signed Agreements on the delimitation of its EEZ with Egypt in 2003 (in force), with Lebanon in 2007 (ratification pending), and with Israel in 2010 (in force), on the basis of the median-line principle. With the above Agreements, Cyprus established not only the maritime boundaries between Cyprus and its three neighbouring states, but also the boundaries between EU and the Middle East. Consequently, the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, was delimited to the south, based on the above bilateral agreements, and is computed, to the north, based on the median line. The Republic of Turkey, an applicant for accession to the European Union, continues to contest the existence of the Republic of Cyprus and the legitimacy of its sovereign rights according to international law, including UNCLOS; and therefore, no agreement could be negotiated regarding the Cyprus EEZ to the north of the island, between Cyprus and Turkey. The EU has ratified the UNCLOS, which is now an integral part of its acquis communautaire.  It is common ground that even though Turkey has not become a party of the UNCLOS, the international law of the sea, both treaty-based and customary, gives rights to Cyprus and Greece in their maritime zones, including their exclusive economic zones and continental shelfs.

• In October 2014, Turkey issued a NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) directive, by which it ‘designated’ a large area within the southern part of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus as being reserved for seismic surveys to be conducted by the Turkish vessel Barbaros from 20 October to 30 December 2014. In response, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on 13 November 2014 on Turkish actions creating tensions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus. The Resolution stresses that Turkey’s actions constitute a violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus and of international law, including UNCLOS, and urged Turkey to refrain from any violations of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus. The EU Parliament underlined the importance of stopping provocative actions within the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus and of refraining from making threats against the Republic of Cyprus.

Turkey’s aggressive escalation in the last 18 months

5. Unfortunately, as we only know too well, Turkey not only did not refrain from provocative actions within the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus and the making of threats, but these have escalated to alarming levels in the past 18 months. Turkey’s actions further expanded in 2020 by dispatching two drilling ships (Oruc Reis and Yavuz) on new drilling operations within the delimitated Cyprus’ EEZ, and making threats against Cyprus. It should be noted that the Turkish vessels are accompanied and supported by Turkish warships.

6. Turkey has also taken unilateral and provocative actions that go against the sovereign rights of the Republic of Greece in its maritime zones, including those generated by islands, and continued the refrain of violations of Greece’s national airspace including overflights of inhabited areas. Turkey’s actions included the signing of an MOU with the UN-recognized Government of National Accord of Libya aiming at changing the boundaries of the exclusive economic zones. The deal was not ratified by the Libyan parliament. It has been strongly criticized by other EU countries in the Mediterranean region, including Greece, Cyprus and France, and also Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and also by the EU. The deal ignores and denies the rights of the Republic of Greece in EEZ generated by three Greek islands, including Crete and Rhodes.

7. These past few days, Turkey continues to carry out illegal and provocative actions, such as issuing and renewal of NAVTEX for survey activities in the maritime zones of Greece and Cyprus. It makes incendiary statements and direct threats that are unprecedented and create real and present risks of accidents occurring in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.

Recent responses by the EU institutions

8. We will refrain from greatly expanding on EU’s responses to-date, but for highlighting the most recent actions and EU’s statements:

• In its conclusions of 12 December 2019, the European Council stated that the abovementioned MoU between Turkey and Libya ‘infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and cannot produce any legal consequences for third States’.

• At its October 2019 meeting, the EU Council agreed on a framework regime of restrictive measures targeting natural and legal persons from Turkey responsible for or involved in the illegal drilling activity of hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean. The Council reaffirmed its full solidarity with Cyprus as regards respect for its sovereignty and sovereign rights in accordance with international law.

• On 14 August 2020, the EU Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the EU’s full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, on the face of further escalation of Turkey’s aggressive and destabilizing actions in the Eastern Mediterranean region and recalled EU common positions and the previous relevant Council Conclusions of 22 March 2018 and June, July, October, December 2019, in addition to the Statement on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean of 15 May 2020.

A call for European solidarity on the face of this European crisis

Dear Green friends,

9. Turkey’s actions are not directed only against two of the member states of the European Union. They are directed against the Union itself. They violate the substance of the Union’s principles. The substance of the common European acquis. And this is why these actions, necessitate common and firm responses by the EU.

10. The European Union is not a coalition of states. It is a family founded on common values, salient among which are solidarity and the rule of law. We understand very clearly that many members of the family often have different concerns. We understand very clearly the existential problems of many countries, especially the smaller ones. But we must not make concessions where our values are concerned. We must not make concessions regarding the foundation of the Union’s existence. We must not allow our self-evident European solidarity and respect to the rule of law to be shaken and open to doubts, first of all in the eyes of our citizens, in the eyes of world public opinion and of humanity itself.

11. We fully subscribe to the three principles expressed on August 14, 2020 by the EU foreign ministers: Solidarity with Greece and Cyprus on the face of flagrant violations of their sovereign rights and of international law, De-escalation by Turkey’s ceasing its illegal actions and naval mobilisations, and Dialogue in accordance with international law and in the pursuit of good neighbourly relations.

12. We regret that the restrictive measures decided in October 2019 have not brought the desired result of Turkey ceasing its illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Restrictive measures are not an end in themselves, but a means to end; it is however now evident that their limited in scope nature was brushed aside by Turkey which has since escalated its illegal and provocative actions.

13. We call upon the European Green Party to:

• state its full support and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, standing by them on the face of this EU crisis which particularly affects two of its member states at the external borders of the Union; and to declare that the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus in their maritime zones enshrined in international law which has become an integral part of the EU internal legal order, should be respected by all states.

• condemn Turkey’s continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and to call upon Turkey to cease its illegal and aggressive actions and provocative statements against Greece and Cyprus which dangerously escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and threaten the security of the region and of the Union’s external borders.

• stress to Turkey the need, following de-escalation, to take concrete steps for addressing issues related to delimitation of maritime boundaries with its neighbouring states through dialogue and negotiation or international arbitration, in good faith, in accordance with international law and in pursuit of the principle of good neighbourly relations between states.

We remain at your disposal for any further information you may need and look forward to your response.

With Green Regards from Cyprus and Greece,

Charalambos Theopemptou

President Cyprus Greens

Manolis Vemis

Coordinator

Executive Commitee

Oikologoi Prasinoi