Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to stop provocation by Turkey by (a) opening the fenced off town of Famagusta/Varosha and (b) ensuring that a solution for Cyprus is achieved as soon as possible.

The UK remains committed to supporting the UN process to reach a Cyprus Settlement, which is in the interests of Cyprus and regional stability. The UK is deeply concerned about the announcement made during the visit of President Erdogan to Cyprus on 19-20 July 2021 regarding the reopening and resettlement of an area constituting 3.4% of the fenced-off area of Varosha.

We strongly support the 23 July UN Security Council Presidential Statement which condemned the announcement. The UK strongly supports the relevant Security Council Resolutions covering the issue of Varosha. The announcement runs contrary to UN Security Council resolutions and to the Security Council Presidential Statement of 8 October 2020 which called for Turkey to halt and reverse its actions in Varosha.