Cyprus stil occupied still divided 1974-2017

enclaved in their villages, which are still occupied, living under conditions of oppression and deprivation. • The demographic structure and balance of Cyprus has been altered due to the illegal mass transfer of settlers from Turkey to the occupied areas, as well as the emigration of thousands of Turkish Cypriots from the island after the Turkish invasion. As a result, Turkish Cypriots are now vastly outnumbered by troops and settlers from Turkey, thus constituting the minority in the occupied areas. • The usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties continues through the illegal construction on Greek Cypriot land and the illegal sale of property owned by Greek Cypriots, who were forcibly expelled from their homes after the Turkish invasion. • Priceless religious and archaeological treasures – part of the world’s cultural heritage – are still in danger, while many churches, monuments, cemeteries and archaeological sites have been destroyed, desecrated or vandalised. A series of UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, as well as resolutions adopted by numerous other international organizations, reflect the universal condemnation of Turkey’s invasion and all subsequent acts of aggression against Cyprus. The resolutions demand, amongst other, the withdrawal of foreign troops, the return of refugees to their homes in safety and the ascertainment of the fate of the missing persons. Moreover, they call for the respect of the human rights of all Cypriots as well as for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus. The European Court of Human Rights, in its judgment against Turkey on 12 May 2014, has found the government of Turkey responsible for gross and systematic violations of human rights in Cyprus. A new round of negotiations, aiming at a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, was initiated in September 2013, conducted, as all previous ones, under the auspices of the UN Secretary General’s Good Offices Mission. In this framework, on 11 February 2014, the leaders of the two communities adopted a joint declaration which, inter alia, reaffirmed the basis of a settlement, namely a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council Resolutions and the High Level Agreements. It also reaffirmed that any settlement should ensure the common future of all Cypriots within the EU. Since May 2015, negotiations proceeded intensively in an overall more positive climate and significant progress has been reached on an important number of issues. Nevertheless, there still remain significant difficulties and divergences. When the process reached a point where it was not yielding results, President Anastasiades submitted a constructive proposal to help taking the process forward and overcome the difficulties.