UN Security Council (UNSC) at its meeting on 14 December 2001, decided to extend the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for a further period of six months until 15 June 2002.
Turkey supports the content of the Press Statement of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on this issue.
It is evident that the operations of the UNFICYP in Northern Cyprus have so far been possible with the cooperation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In the UN Resolution 1384 (2001), reference has been made to the agreement of the “Government of Cyprus” regarding the extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force. Thus, the fact that there is no single political authority based on the partnership of both sides representing the entire Island since 1963, has been disregarded.
The consent and approval of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus regarding the extension of the mandate of the UNFICYP have neither been included in the UNSC Resolution 1384 (2001) nor in the UNSG Report on the UNFICYP. The necessity to make a separate arrangement with the Turkish Cypriot side on the modalities of the UNFICYP’s operations in Northern Cyprus has thus been ignored once again and the well established and accepted UN principle that the peacekeeping forces can only operate with the consent of the concerned parties has been violated. It is not possible for Turkey to accept this Resolution which does not take into account the political equality and equal status of both parties in the Island.
This UNSC Resolution is also contrary to the basic understanding of the new process initiated by H.E. Mr. Denktaş, President of the Republic of Northern Cyprus, on December 4, 2001 and does not help to the efforts in search of a settlement in Cyprus.