Statement By The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of The Republic Of Turkey Concerning UN Security Council Resolutions No:1178 And 1179 (1998) June 30, 1998

The UN Security Council adopted yesterday two resolutions on Cyprus, one concerning the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for a further 6 month period as of July 1,1998, the other relating to the good offices mission of the UN Secretary General.

The Security Council, in its resolution on UNFICYP, repeats once again the error it has been committing for years and states that the mandate of the Peace Keeping Force is extended upon the consent of the illegitimate "Government of Cyprus".

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has informed the President of the Security Council that it can not accept a resolution on such a basis but nevertheless will continue to cooperate with UNFICYP, and has made it known that this cooperation will be carried out in accordance with the sovereign will and along the guidelines to be established by the Government of the TRNC.

Turkey supports this position of the TRNC.

The UN Security Council, in its second resolution, appears to have adopted an attitude that will altogether complicate the good offices mission of the Secretary General, instead of facilitating it.

The good offices mission of the UN Secretary-General, since its inception, has evolved upon the understanding that a final settlement should rest on the mutual consent of both sides in Cyprus. In its latest resolution, the Security Council leaves aside this basic fact and introduces certain parameters of a solution. In this context, it displays an understanding to the effect that a solution in Cyprus should rest upon the continuation of the illegitimate "Republic of Cyprus" and the extension of its sovereignty to the whole of the Island. Such a posture is unacceptable to the Turkish side.

It is highly probable that the Greek/Greek Cypriot front will attempt to exploit the resolution to further its activities aimed at increasing tension on the Island as well as in the region. We particularly wish to draw attention to this point.

Turkey has all along given its support to the good offices mission of the UN Secretary General and is of the view that a settlement in Cyprus should be based upon the realities of the Island. However, the prospects for the success of the good offices mission on the basis of such a partial resolution is questionable.