EUROPEAN GREENS CONCERNED ABOUT ALARMING RATE OF CITIZEN CONCESSIONS IN NORTH CYPRUS

   The three member delegation of the European Greens that visited the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus to meet with all pro-solution opposition Turkish-Cypriot leaders, in view of the upcoming 14 December popular consultation, expressed their concern  at the news given to them by opposition leaders Akinci, Talat and Erel that thousands of Turkish settlers were being given Turkish-Cypriot citizenship at the last minute.
   Grazia Francescato, European Greens Spokesperson said: “The European Greens are extremely concerned at the fact that over 11,000 people have been granted citizenship in the last year or so by the Denktash regime, 6000 of which unaccountable.  This concession of an abnormal amount of citizenships before the holding of the 14 December so called elections in the northern part of Cyprus casts strong doubts on the transparency and openness with which the so called elections will be held”.  Francescato stated: “We European Greens will work to ensure that the military occupation of Cyprus comes to an end, since a candidate or member country of the EU cannot oocupy militarily another member state of the EU”.
   Vula Tsetsi, Co-Secretary General of the Greens-EFA Group in the EP stated: “The first ever joint meeting in the northern part of Cyprus between the leading opposition forces, the European Greens and the Cyprus Greens is a truly historic one.  We are here to enforce our green principles in order to safeguard the fundamental rights of all Cypriots, of whatever ethnic origin, in all the Cypriot territory.  In this respect, we European Greens demand the reopening of the Greek language school in the town of Rizokarpaso to guarantee their linguistic and cultural diversity, to  which all Cypriots – Turkish-Cypriots and Greek Cypriots alike- are entitled.
   Arnold Cassola, Secretary General of the European Greens, augured that Cyprus enters the European Union as a united country on 1st May 2004.  “A united Cyprus will give a great contribution to the historical, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of the European Union”, Cassola concluded.

The Mediterranean Greens, meeting in Larnaca (Cyprus) from 21st to the 23rd of November 2003, convey their strong support to the Greens of Basilicata and Italy to the environmental movement and to the people of Scaunano Jonic who are fighting to reject the Berlusconi government decision to place a nuclear waste storage site on their territory.

They stress the urgency to promote in all the Mediterranean area, the implementation of renewable resources, as solar energy and energy saving policies and reinforce their call to declare Mediterranean a nuclear free zone.

Name - Country

Melina Menelaou - Cyprus Green Party
Arnold Cassola - Secretary General EFGP
Jacque Maret - Les Verts, French Greens
Deny Olivier - Os Verts - Portugal
Ebru Ozdemir - Greens of Turkey
Ian Meli - Alternativa Demokratika – The Green Party (Malta)
David Hammerstine - Los Vertes (Spain)
Elias Gianniris - Ecologists, Greens - Greece
Granzia Francescato - Italian Greens


At the Mediterranean Network Meeting of the European Federation of Green Parties, held in Pervolia, Larnaca, Cyprus between 21-23 November 2003 the Greens expressed their concern on the insistence of the British Government to put in operation the huge military spying antennae in the sensitive area of the Akrotiri Salt Lake.

The antennae should not have been allowed to operate prior to the completion of a health impact assessment, without applying the precautionary principle applied specially to children’s and adult’s health and the protection of wild life, bird migration and biodiversity.

We call upon the British Government to abandon the operation of the antennae and demolish all antennae erected.
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At the Mediterranean Network Meeting of the European Federation of Green Parties, held in Pervolia, Larnaca, Cyprus between 21-23 November 2003 the Greens have concluded the following:

- The European Greens are extremely concerned at the fact that over 11,000 people have been granted citizenship in the last year or so by the Denktash regime, 6000 of which unaccountable.  This concession of an abnormal amount of citizenships before the holding of the 14 December so called elections in the northern part of Cyprus casts strong doubts on the transparency and openness with which the so called elections will be held.
- We European Greens will work to bring about the end of military occupation of Cyprus since it is not acceptable for any candidate or member country of the EU to occupy militarily another member state of the EU.
- The first ever joint-meeting in the northern part of Cyprus between the leading opposition forces, the European Greens and the Cyprus Greens is noted as a truly historic meeting. The Green Principles should be enforced in order to safeguard the fundamental rights of all Cypriots, of whatever ethnic origin, in all the Cypriot territory.  In this respect, we European Greens demand the reopening of the Greek language school in the village of Rizokarpaso to guarantee the linguistic and cultural diversity, to which all Cypriots – Turkish-Cypriots and Greek Cypriots alike- are entitled, as all other European Union citizens.
- The European Greens will work towards achieving a united Cyprus entering the European Union on 1st May 2004. A united Cyprus will give a great contribution to the historical, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of the European Union.
- The accession of both Cyprus and Turkey in the European Union has been characterised as a catalyst towards achieving a solution to the Cyprus problem. Every effort will be made towards achieving a solution before accession, without however this being a prerequisite for accession to the EU.
23.11.2003

The Journalist's Village were the Mediterranean Meeting was held