Israel Stands In Solidarity With Cyprus On Varosha Issue - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st July, 2021) The Israeli Foreign Minister on Wednesday pledged its support to Cyprus in dispute over the status of the Varosha quarter in the northern Cypriot city of Famagusta, currently a military zone planned to be partly reopened to civilians by Turkey.

During Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the island, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar announced on Tuesday plans to partially reopen the fenced-off town for further resettlement, adding that the real estate in the area can be returned to owners. The decision sparked harsh criticism from the Greek Cypriots, who accused Ankara of organizing a land grab.

"Israel is following with deep concern recent unilateral Turkish actions and statements regarding the status of Varosha. Israel reiterates its solidarity and full support for Cyprus," Lior Haiat, the spokesman for the ministry, tweeted late on Tuesday.

In a follow-up tweet, he noted that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid reaffirmed his support and solidarity directly to his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on his part, called Erdogan's and Tatar's announcements concerning Varosha "an unacceptable unilateral decision.

" The diplomat's statement was met with harsh criticism in Ankara.

"This statement, made solely for the sake of EU solidarity and which is null and void for us, does not go beyond serving as the spokesperson and advocate of the Greek Cypriot Administration and Greece, which abuse their veto right within the EU. With this attitude, it is not possible for the EU to play any positive role in reaching a settlement to the Cyprus issue," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.

Varosha, a once-popular tourist destination, protected by a 1984 UN Security Council resolution, was transformed into a military zone with nobody allowed to enter following the 1974 Turkish invasion to allegedly protect the Turkish Cypriot population. The offensive resulted in the division of Cyprus, as in 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared its independence, without being recognized by any country except Ankara.