Turkish settlement

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A Turkish settlement is a settlement inhabited by Turks. Such settlements have existed on Cyprus since the 16th century ^[1]. After the division resulting from the 1974 EOKA coup and the subsequent Turkish invasion of Cyprus, new Turkish settlements have been formed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,^{[citation needed]} which is recognized only by Turkey. (The United Nations recognizes the de jure sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island).

Contents 1 Status 2 Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot estimations 3 Resolutions of international organizations 4 Annan plan 5 Refererences 6 External links

[edit] Status

Turkish settlers who arrived in Cyprus aster 1974 were given North Cyprus citizenship.^[2] According to the European Commission of Human Rights, at least until 1998, existed rivalry and social conflict between the original Turkish Cypriots and immigrants from Turkey who continued to arrive in considerable numbers. Some of the original Turkish Cypriots and their political groups and media resented the "TRNC" policy of full integration for the settlers.^[3] The government of the Republic of Cyprus has also claimed that the dwindling number of Greek Cypriots living in the Karpas peninsula of northern Cyprus were subjected to continuing oppressive treatment at the hands of Turkish settlers, and which has gone unpunished. The Turkish governement responded to these accusations, arguing that effective judicial remedies were available to all Greek Cypriots living in northern Cyprus.^[3]

[edit] Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot estimations

According to the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus, the colonization of the occupied area infringes upon the property rights of the displaced Greek Cypriots, whose properties are used to house the settlers.^[3] According to the statistics of the Republic of Cyprus, the influx into the occupied area of settlers from mainland Turkey takes place in parallel with a continuous outflow of indigenous Turkish Cypriots, who, in 1974, totaled about 118,000, i.e., about 18% of Cyprus’s population. According to the same statistics, Turkish settlers (estimated at upwards of 160,000) far outnumber Turkish Cypriots (estimated at 88,100), who also have lower rates of reproduction. The government of the Republic of Cyprus regards the continued existence of the Turkish settlement since the 1970s a violation of Article 49 and a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions."^[4]

On the other hand, the Turkish Cypriot authorities argue that the Turkish Cypriot economy could not absorb the numbers estimated by the other side, and that in any case many of the so-called settlers were people of Turkish Cypriot origin returning from the United kingdom and other countries. In mid 1990s Turkish Cypriot authorities said that the number of settlers is about 17.000. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons in their report of May 7, 1987, said that foreign observers, including the British Government, estimated the Turkish settlers in the north at about 35.000.^[5]

[edit] Resolutions of international organizations

The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly deplored "all unilateral actions that change the demographic structure of Cyprus of promote faits accomplis."^[6] The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has issued a Recommendation for the "Colonisation by Turkish settlers of the occupied part of Cyprus" (Recommendation 1680/2003), calling on "Turkey, as well as its Turkish Cypriot subordinate local administration in northern Cyprus, to stop the process of colonisation by Turkish settlers and, in particular." According to the same Recommendation, "It is a well-established fact that the demographic structure of the island has been continuously modified since its de facto partition in 1974, as a result of the deliberate policies of the Turkish Cypriot administration and Turkey. Despite the lack of consensus on the exact figures, all parties concerned admit that Turkish nationals have since been systematically arriving in the northern part of the island. According to reliable estimates, their number currently totals 115 000 [...] The settlers come mainly from the region of Anatolia, one of the least developed regions of Turkey. Their customs and traditions differ significantly from those present in Cyprus. These differences are the main cause of the tensions and dissatisfaction of the indigenous Turkish Cypriot population, who tend to view the settlers as a foreign element."^[7] The issue of the Turkish settlement has also preoccupied the European Parliament, which has called the Foreign Ministers of the EU "to put pressure on the Turkish government, which is linked to the EEC by an association agreement and is an applicant for membership, to draw up a precise timetable for the withdrawal of its troops, in accordance with the proposals made by the UN SecretaryGeneral, and that of the Turkish settlers."^[8]

[edit] Annan plan

The issue of the Turkish settlers was one of the main reasons that the Gree-Cypriots rejected in a referendum the 5th revision of the Annan Plan proposing the creation of the United Cyprus Republic, covering the island of Cyprus in its entirety except for the British Sovereign Base Areas. The main Greek Cypriot objection was that the plan limits the right of Greek Cypriot refugees to return, while allowing tens of thousands of Turkish settlers introduced to the occupied north since the 1974 Turkish invasion to remain (accorging to the Plan nearly all the Turkish settlers would be granted citizenship or residence rights leading to citizenship, and the central government would have limited control towards future Turkish Immigration).^[9]

[edit] Refererences

1. ^ Socialist Republic of Serbia - Page 306 edited by Mladen Stojanović
2. ^ Dietz, Thomas (2002). "EU Membership: Social and Ecomomic Impact", The European Union and the Cyprus Conflict: Modern Conflict, Postmodern Union. Manchester University Press, 201. ISBN 0-719-06079-6. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Case of Cyprus v. Turkey, European Court of Human Rights
4. ^ Aide Memoire: Turkish Settlement of Occupied Cyprus, Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus
5. ^ Necatigil, Zaim M.; White, Gillian M. (1993). "Human Rights in Cyprus", The Cyprus Question and the Turkish Position in International Law. Oxford University Press, 139. ISBN 0-198-25846-1. 
6. ^ See Resolutions 33/15 (1978) and 37/253 (1983).
7. ^ Recommendation 1608 (2003), Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
8. ^ Resolution 10.3.1988, Parliament of Europe
9. ^ E.M. Lederer, Russia Blocks UN Cyprus Resolution

[edit] External links

• Couple celebrate court win in Cyprus land row, The Guardian, (September 7, 2006).