The US is pushing for a UN Security Council resolution condemning Turkey-backed plans to partially reopen the abandoned Cyprus resort town of Varosha.
The plans would allow settlement of the disputed area by Turkish Cypriots despite previous agreements that it should be administered by the UN.
“We had consultations yesterday at the UN and those will continue until we have a product,” Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told the Senate on Wednesday during a hearing on Turkey. She noted that the US is working with “like-minded” members to pass such a resolution at the Security Council.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, visited Varosha on Tuesday and announced the partial reopening. The move sparked immediate condemnation from Greece and Cyprus, which took the matter to the UN. Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides weighed in saying, "this is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and will have a negative impact on efforts underway to restart talks."
“The United States views this action as provocative, unacceptable and detrimental to the prospects for the resumption of settlement talks,” Ms Nuland told the Senate. “We’re urging a reversal of this decision, including a phone call that I made to Ankara this morning.”
“A Cypriot-led, comprehensive settlement to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation is the only path to lasting peace and stability.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the Varosha decision on Twitter during Ms Nuland’s public testimony, noting that it violates previous UN Security Council resolutions.
One of the two Security Council resolutions in question “considers attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the United Nations”.
About 17,000 Cypriots fled Varosha in 1974 after Turkey invaded and occupied the northern half of the island in the aftermath of a short-lived coup backed by Greece.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, noted that members of the 15-nation council had discussed Varosha behind closed doors on Wednesday.
Diplomats from China, India, Ireland and other nations used social media to express concern over the move by Turkish Cypriot officials, but it remained unclear what action the UN body would take.
China’s deputy ambassador, Geng Shuang, said the move was “inappropriate, nonconstructive and undermines the efforts to seek a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus issue”.
Speaking briefly to reporters, Elizabeth Spehar, the UN envoy to Cyprus, said she rejected “unilateral” moves and expressed “deep concern over recent developments” that would worsen relations between the two sides.
The UN-facilitated peace talks on Cyprus have sought to reunify the island. However the mediated talks aimed at reuniting Cyprus have all ended in failure, with the last push for a peace deal in July 2017 ending in acrimony.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by the decision by the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey.
"The Secretary-General has repeatedly called on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that provoke tensions and may compromise the ongoing efforts to seek common ground between the parties towards a lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue," Mr Haq said.
But Mr Erdogan and Mr Tatar have doubled down on insisting that the decades-long dispute be resolved through a two-state solution, seeking international recognition for Northern Cyprus.
Greek Cypriots reject a two-state deal that would accord sovereign status to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state that only Ankara recognises. The Turkish occupation of the northern part of the island has been declared illegal under international law.
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
The specs
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Company%20Profile
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States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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