Female opposition politicians call on UN chief to ‘take more initiative’

THE Women’s Branch of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on “September 1 World Peace Day” calling for him to take “more” initiative to resume negotiations for a Cyprus settlement.

The letter emphasised the group’s “determination” for a federal solution and peace-building in Cyprus.

“As women, we expressed that we want to see our country united and in peace,” the letter stated.

CTP Women’s Branch chair and Lefkoşa MP Doğuş Derya and Central Executive Board members delivered the letter to Mr Guterres to Arzu Çağın, who works at the Civil Affairs Section of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus, at the

Ledra Palace crossing point.

Issuing a statement before the letter was handed over, Ms Derya said that UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security adopted in 2000, envisages the involvement of women in peace-building processes in countries that have experienced conflict and that the decision allows women to pass on their experiences during the peacemaking process at the negotiating table in many countries that have experienced conflict before.

Ms Derya said that while a “Gender Equality Technical Committee” was established in 2015 after a “great struggle”, it has been unable to “function properly” because there are “no active negotiations today”.