CYPRUS (2)

Early day motion 542, tabled 16 January 2003 by Andrew Dismore (Labour). Signed by 32 members.

That this House welcomes the statement by the leader of the governing party in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the new Turkish Government is willing to question Turkey's longstanding policy in Cyprus and that he personally does not believe that this is Mr Denktash's private matter; regrets the ongoing military and civilian trials, harassment and physical threats to journalists, teachers and others speaking out against the existing regime in northern Cyprus and involved in constructive bicommunal initiatives; encourages the two communities' leaders in their talks, and everyone assisting them, to put all their efforts into a Cyprus solution notwithstanding the elections for the Cyprus President on 16th and 23rd February; recognises that time is short for a Cyprus solution, if the necessary referendums are to be held in time for a united Cyprus to sign the Treaty of Accession in Athens; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to emphasise to the Turkish Government that a Cyprus settlement is in the interests of Turkey, its own future relationship with the EU, the Turkish Cypriots, Cyprus as a whole, Greece, the UK, and the whole of the southern European region.

Signatures by party: Labour 24, Conservative 4, Liberal Democrat 3, Labour/Co-operative 1.