[ Ομιλία στη Συνδιάσκεψη των Παρισίων του ΟΗΕ της unesco και των NGO ]
As it is well known, the tremendous disasters of the second world war to mankind ,led the winner powers to organize the international community created the United Nations Organization ,the Charter of which provided a world legal system, which has as its main purposes
I] to secure the international peace and security, of the States
2] to respect the sovereign equality and the political independence of the states
3] to respect the borders and the territorial integrity of the states
4] to respect the self determination of the peoples
5] to protect and develop the human rights and the basic liberties
6] to solve the differences among the states, by peaceful means etc.
In order now to fulfil the above purposes ,the Charter of the U.N. declared that the war, the violence and the threat among the states, are out of law .
Also I would like to point out that, during the ceremony of the signing of the U.N. Charter the President of the United States Harry Truman addressing to the world through their representatives among the others, declared the following:
"The U.N. Charter, which we have just signed, constitutes a unique creation on which we may rely to build a better world .History will honor you for this because you have succeeded a victory over the war. With this Charter you may attain to the future for a better life with dignity and freedom. If we fail to use the Charter we will be traitors to all of those who sacrificed their lives enabling us to meet here today secure and free. If we will claim to use the Charter selfishly which means favoring the interests of one nation or a small group of nations ,we will all be equally guilty of this treason "…
Unfortunately the above heritage of President Harry Truman ,was not applied and was not respected mainly, by his compatriots the Americans who must have been the main safe guardians of his heritage. It is very sad that the U.S.A. violated the Charter and used it selfishly, selectively and with discrimination ,in order to serve their own interests.
A major example of the violation and the discriminating application of the U.N. Charter is the cases of Kuwait and Cyprus .As all of you know in 1991 Iraq invaded in Kuwait for which the Security Council and the International Community took action immediately and proceeded to the condemnation of Iraq and by collective application of forced measures under the leadership of U.S.A. obliged Iraq to withdraw its armed forces and restore the former situation.
On the other hand in the case of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus ,although the violation of the U.N. Charter was identical ,unfortunately no enforcement measures were taken by the Security Council , in spite of its own resolutions of condemnation , the expulsion of 200.000 Greek Cypriots living in the occupied area, the 5ooo victims and even when the leader of Turkish Cypriots , Raouf Denckdas , in a public statement in front of T.V. cameras accepted that 1480 prisoners and hostages of war were assassinated in cold blood…For such a case it was expected to set up an Ad Hoc International Court for the judgment of the moral and physical guilty for this crime against humanity.
On the contrary, nothing has been done, and the consequences of the invasion and the occupation of Cyprus, by the heavy Turkish army, was the establishment of an illegal and puppet state in the north territory of Cyprus ,which has been condemned by the Security Council and all the countries all over the world, as nul and void ,that is why no one state has recognized it..
On the other hand the Turkish army and the authorities of the puppet state have violated the human rights of the Cypriot population and for this reason the Cyprus Government brought Turkey in frond of the International Court for human rights, in Strasbourg, which on 10-5-2001 Delivered the No 341 Decision condemning Turkey and found it responsible for 14 violations of the convention of human rights which I will refer briefly to you as follows ;
THE CONTENT OF THE DECISION OF THE COURT FOR THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HAS AS FOLLOWS
A. Greek -Cypriot missing persons during the invasion of Turkish army in Cyprus :
1] Violation of article 2 -right to life
2] Violation of article 5 - right of liberty and security
3] Violation of article 3 - right of prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment
B . Home and property of displaced persons
1] violation of article 8- right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence
2] violation of article 1 of protocol No 1-protection of property .
3] violation of article 13 -right to effective remedy
C. Living conditions of Greek -Cypriots in Karpas region of northern Cyprus.
1] violation of article 9 -freedom of thought ,conscience , and religion .
2] violation of article 10 -freedom of expression
3] violation of article 1 -protocol 1, respect of Greek-Cypriot to live in north Cyprus and to enjoy their possessions
4] Violation of article 2 (protocol 1) (right to education).
5] Violation of article 3, (living in Karpas, subjected to discrimination and degrading treatment).
6] Violation of article 8, (living in northern Cyprus and respect their private life, family and their home).
7] Violation of article 13, by reason of the absence, of any remedies in respect of interferences by the authorities with rights of Greek Cypriots living in northern Cyprus .
The Decision which was delivery by the Grand Chamber of the Court was accepted by sixteen votes to one Turkey representative, which found Turkey and the authorities of the puppet state responsible for the violation of articles 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13, of the Convention of Rome which is identical with the Ecumenical Declaration and the conventions, as they are
1] for the prevention and punishment of crime of genocide
2]for the promotion among the youth of the ideals of peace
3] for the civil and political rights
4] for the international cultural co-operation
5] for the right of the peoples to peace
6] against torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment etc.
In spite of the above violations of human rights and the International Legality ,the conspiracy against Cyprus continuing and the U.S.A. with England , instead of forcing Turkey to withdraw its army forces from Cyprus and to remedy for the thousands of victims and damages , try to legalize the invasion by supporting the Turkish minority to become a separate state, within the territory of Cyprus Republic and bringing the Kofi Annan Plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem. This Plan unfortunately for them , was rejected by the plebiscite of the Cypriot population , because it was ;
1] in contradiction with the international legality and especially the U.N. resolutions
2] accepted the military occupation and the Turkish colonization
3] confirmed the fait accompli of the military results
4] was resolving the Cyprus Republic ,a member of the U.N..
5] recognize the illegal puppet state of the minority , which was established in north Cyprus by the military forces ,but it has been condemned by the international community
6] ignores the invasion and the occupation of the 40% of the Cypriot territory
7] ignores the violation of human rights and the crimes against the hummanity.
8] retains the right of Turkey to invade in Cyprus against the charter of U.N and the resolutions of Security Council .
9] provides the suspension of basic human rights, like free transportation ,acquisition of capital, property, residence etc.
It is really a shame for the International Community, 35 years after the invasion of Turkey in Cyprus, the Turkish army to continue its illegal occupation, against the international legality .
This attitude of Turkey, as well as the continuing violations of the fundamental human rights of the people of Cyprus have been. condemned by international bodies ,such as the Security Council ,the . General Assembly ,the Non Aligned Movement ,the commonwealth, the Council of Europe etc.
.Finally the reports of the Commission of Human Rights conferment the atrocities committed by the Turkish forces ofoccupation ,in north Cyprus..
After that, the question which arise is what we can do, to stop the violation of Human rights in Cyprus, for my opinion , a good step of our community towards the respect, the protection and the development of human rights is to establish an International Committee with representatives from the N.G.Os , with the only purpose, to pressure , the guilty state, Turkey, to withdraw its arm forces from Cyprus, and to stop the violation of Human rights..
So, the International Committee of the N.G.Os for Cyprus can start a world campaign to boycott of Turkish products, isolate and exclude Turkey from the international stages or forums , exhibitions, speeches, protests etc. in order to compel Turkey to respect international legality, to withdraw its occupied forces and to respect the human rights of Cypriots and finally to call Turkey to respect the independence , the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus as well as the withdrawal of all its troops from its territory and the adoption of all practical measures to promote the effective implementation of the relevant resolutions.
Finally, I should mention that the picture of the international situation is very tragic but we must never loose our hope .This feeling, I believe, is derived from the fact that some exceptional evens encourage us that gradually the international community will be able to find its own path. This can be achieved under the presupposition that the only super power of the world today the U.S.A. has the will to respect and apply the rules of the international legality ,as it is codified in the Charter of the U.N. as well in other international texts of high importance .as it is the Universal Declaration of human rights, the Final Act of Helsinki ,the Treaty of Rome ,the Charter of Paris etc.
Otherwise ,the arrogance of the military power will lead us to the chaos ,anarchy , terrorism , and the '' uneven '' threats with all the bad consequences ,for the international community and the human civilization .
The solution of the Cyprus problem depends from the following actions taken by the international community ,which are condition sine qua non :
1] the withdrawal of the occupying Turkish army and the 100.000 Turks settlers from Cyprus
2] the termination of the hypocritical ,illegal and under the threat of guns of the intercommunity talks among the guilty and the victims
3] the guaranty of human rights of the Greek- Cypriot peoples
4] the guaranty of the Cypriot Republic its sovereignty, political independence ,and territorial integrity, by the Big Powers
5] the compensation for the human victims and material damages .
6] the return of both groups of Cypriots [Greeks and Turks] to their original homes
7] the prosecution in front .of an Ad Hoc Criminal Court of any responsible person for the crimes of genocide ,national cleansing and crimes against humanity .
. So, if the Cyprus problem, unsolved for 35 years , is not be solved , no one has the moral and legal right to ask for the withdrawal of the Russia troops from Georgia or wherever else ..
Justice must be applied , without of any discrimination , all over the world.