Speech at the meeting of the Leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Political Parties organized by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic, hosted by the Cyprus Green Party
26th February 2014, Ledra Palace in Nicosia
Dear
friends, dear Madame Ambassador,
I
would like to thank you, on behalf of the Cyprus Green Party, for this
opportunity to address an issue that is very dear to our hearts and needs to be
attended to very urgently. This is the ongoing quarrying of the Pentadaktylos
Mountain Range.
Pentadaktylos
is the limestone Mountain Range that separates the Mesaoria plains from the
shores of Keryneia. It is engraved in our legends and history, being the
natural fortress and observation point from dangers from our Northern shores.
Unfortunately
this beautiful mountain range is in danger of being irreversibly damaged.
Scientists and Environmentalists have warned that if the uncontrolled
quarrying of the Pentadaktylos mountain does not stop, soon the five peaks will
start to disappear one by one. Mr Orhan Aydeniz, chairman of the Cyprus
Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion and Reforestation and the Protection of
Natural Habitats, told the "Cyprus Today" newspaper in November 2013
(and I quote): “The situation is critical. There are currently 17 stone
quarries operating across the Five Finger Mountains in an unorganised,
unsystematic manner… We can talk for another 20 years but soon we will have no
mountain left. There won’t be five or four fingers left on the mountain. There
will be nothing”.
Environment
Commissioner Ms Ioanna Panayiotou says that information she has received
indicate that there are currently 39 stone quarries operating on Pentadaktylos,
not 17. According to a news report published in the Havadis newspaper, there
are 40 quarries in the northern part of Cyprus covering a total area of 2
million 651 thousand square meters.
Irreversible
harm is being done to the terrain and many species of flora and fauna are being
destroyed, which are included in the European Habitats Directive. There are
various species that are included in the Red Codex of endangered endemic
species of Cyprus. Οne
of the plants is the national plant of Cyprus, the cyclamen. Another is the
extremely rare and very beautiful Ophrys Kotschyi or Cyprus Bee-orchid.
Besides
destroying the mountains, trees and the environment as a whole, the dust
particles from the quarries that are close to residential areas cause
difficulties in breathing and other health problems. Many houses in the
surrounding areas are also damaged during explosions, which break their windows
and create cracks in the walls.
The
Pentadaktylos mountain range was included in the project for the management and
protection of potential “NATURA 2000” sites in the occupied part of Cyprus
which was financed by the European Commission in the framework of Council
Regulation 389/2006, with the consent of the Government of the Republic of
Cyprus. 5 types of ecosystems according to the 92/43/EC Directive were
identified here. 16 endemic species that are not found anywhere else in the
world were identified. There are many fauna species in the area, 30 of which
are identified in the Annex of the 79/409/EC Directive. 72 migratory birds have
been sighted in the area and in all some 160 species that are internationally
protected or endemic or rare or endangered species have been identified in this
particular area.
In
my personal opinion, the ecological destruction is already irreparable. The
tragic consequences of quarrying have already appeared through the loss of
vital habitats and rare species of flora and fauna are threatened with complete
extinction. Certain species are unique and we get to see them only at the
Pentadaktylos mountain range. The repousse of the terrain is irreversibly
changing and many species of flora and fauna which can be found in the
Pentadaktylos mountain range and which are also included in the European
Direction for habitats are totally destroyed.
In
view of the above, there is a need for immediate action to protect this unique
environmental site. I therefore strongly urge you to exert your influence so
that there is an immediate termination of the illegal quarrying of the
Pentadaktylos mountain range, in line with European and international
environmental principles.
Dear
friends. This island as a whole is our common heritage. It is where we were
born and raised, where our ancestors lived and prospered and worked so that
their children could also live and prosper. We need to do the same now. We need
to safeguard this island for the generations to come, that will hopefully be
born and raised in a unified island, where everybody can reside and work freely
and just be. I hope that you can all share this vision with me and will help in
saving Cyprus for generations to come.
