European Parliament Elections |
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Prof. Dr. Ata ATUN |
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European Parliament Elections
For the first time Turkish Cypriots were allowed to use their free will in the European Parliament Elections although according to the 1960 Republic of Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots has the right to hold the elections within the Turkish Community solely for the 2 seats reserved for them.
Turkish Cypriots are the founder and partner of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus with the ratio of 7 to 3. This means in all levels of the government there should be 7 Greek and 3 Turkish civil servants jointly give service to the public, or at least 2 to 1.
The Constitution of Republic of Cyprus, amended by the Greek Cypriots illegally and unilaterally, after their notorious attack to the Turkish Cypriots for extermination on the night of December 21, 1963. Turkish Cypriots were expelled from the government offices on gun point and the Republic became a unitary Greek Government.
This is one of the reasons why I, and other columnists and politicians define the Republic as “1960 Republic of Cyprus “. Turkey also recognizes the “1960 Republic of Cyprus” but not the existing unitary Greek Republic of Cyprus, which took power after the illegal amendment of the constitution on 1964, without the consent of the Turkish Cypriots.
1960 Republic of Cyprus officially had 6 seats in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, 4 seats for the Greek Parliamentarians and 2 for the Turkish Cypriot Parliamentarians. Elections to be held within the Communities separately, Greek Cypriots voting for the 4 Greek Cypriot candidates and Turkish Cypriots for 2 Turkish Cypriot candidates. The ballot boxes were to be placed in the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot regions separately, and the counting in the presence of civil servants of the each community separately.
The 1960 Republic of Cyprus became a member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on September 21,1961 and represented in the Parliament by 2 full members and 2 substitute members from the Greek Cypriots and 1 full member and 1 substitute member from the Turkish Cypriots.
Our very first representatives in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe were Mr. Halit Ali Rıza and Mr. Ümit Süleyman, the first, full member and the latter substitute. Mr. Süleyman’s membership ended on Janury 1, 1963 and Mr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu replaced him. Their membership ended on May 1, 1964.
For the Spring 1964 session of the Assembly, Greek Cyprus Government sent a delegation consisted of 6 Greek Cypriots and no Turkish Cypriots and the credential of this delegation was refused by the assembly due to lacking the Turkish Cypriot representation.
For the Autumn 1964 Session of the assembly, Greek Government sent a delegation consisted of 2 full and 2 substitute members all from Greek Cypriots and the Assembly approved the credentials of the four Greek Cypriot parliamentarians on probation, subject the composition of the Cyprus delegation would include Turkish Cypriots on the next Session of Autumn 1965.
Representation of Cyprus was suspended when the Turkish Cypriot members could not attend the meetings and later totally cancelled. Parliamentary Assembly insisted on full representation of Cyprus rather than only by Greeks Cypriots.
European Parliament made a big mistake of giving credential to the Cyprus delegation consisted of 6 Greek Cypriots. They should have asked from the Greek Cypriot Government as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe did, to include Turkish Cypriots in the delegation. Since that time unfortunately Greek Cypriots are occupying illegally the seats of Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament.
The European Union’s unilateral support of Greek Cypriots in the island actually delays the solution and damages the relations between EU and Turkish Cypriots.
Ata ATUN to include
ata.atun@atun.com
http://www.ataatun.com
