The International Association for the Protection of Human Rights in Cyprus expresses its disagreement with the recent statements of United States’ officials, according to which the act of selling American weapons to the Turkish military forces that occupy Northern Cyprus is legal.
It should be observed that in accordance with the United States Leahy Law, 2001 Foreign Operations Act, which explicitly prohibits US military assistance to foreign military units that violate human rights, the US military assistance to the Turkish military forces that occupy Northern Cyprus is illegal. If there is credible evidence that the units of the security forces of a foreign country have committed gross violations of human rights, then such assistance is prohibited by law. It should be recalled that the Turkish military forces that occupy Northern Cyprus are still responsible for gross and continuing violations of human rights, a fact which has been judicially confirmed in the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Fourth Inter – State Application of Cyprus against Turkey.
It should be also recalled that the Turkish occupying military forces are illegally stationed in Cyprus, a fact which has been acknowledged by the Security Council (365/74) and the General Assembly of the United Nations (3212/74). It is therefore indisputable that the act of selling weapons to the Turkish military forces that occupy Northern Cyprus is illegal, not only on the terms the law of the United States, but also on the terms of international law.
Written by Administrator of humanrightscyprus.org
Friday, 31 March 2006
