President Akıncı called for five party conference
President Mustafa Akıncı has called for the date of the five-party conference, to reach a settlement on the basis of the joint statement of 11 February 2014, to be determined as soon as possible.
In his press statement following the meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Akıncı said that the aim of their meeting was to assess the negotiations held in Mont Pelerin and to discuss the steps to be taken in 2016 within the framework of reaching a viable solution.
Stressing that the reason for the deadlock in the second stage of the negotiations was without a doubt the Greek Cypriot side’s attitude, Akıncı stated that Greek Cypriot side wished to define the territory issue with their maps.
Akıncı said: “The reason of the deadlock in Mont Pelerin was the Greek Cypriot side’s intention to end the Territory Chapter entirely on their terms, yet while keeping the issues of political equality, the rotating presidency and effective participation in the decision mechanism hanging on.”
However, Akıncı emphasised that a solution can be reached in 2016 if they remain faithful to the 11 February 2014 agreement. “If all sides have a will for a solution, it is clear what to do. We should clarify the date of the five-party conference as soon as possible” Akıncı added.
Özgürgün: “If Turkey stays out of EU, the EU has no right to intervene in the TRNC”
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün made a statement to AA correspondent following the European Parliament’s resolution regarding Turkey. He said: “We have stated before that the EU has no right to intervene in the TRNC before Turkey becomes a member of the EU. If Turkey stays out of the EU, the EU will have no right to comment on the TRNC. No-one has the right to lead the Turkish Cypriots into an environment without Turkey, and to make them a minority of Greece and South Cyprus.”
Furthermore, in his statement, Özgürgün said that Greek Cypriot side is negotiating in front of the international community to change some aspects, and added that the Greek Cypriots have never considered the Turkish Cypriots as equals, or accepted the existence and guarantorship of Turkey.
Highlighting that Greek Cypriot side have said “no” to all comprehensive solution plans of the United Nations for about 50 years, a stance repeated most recently at the Mont Pelerin summit, Özgürgün said, “The international community never blame the Greek Cypriots who say “no” to all plans, but they seem to have a longstanding bias that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey are guilty. Negotiations cannot continue forever. If a solution is not reached before the end of 2016, we should continue as the TRNC. We can return to the negotiating table but we should not speak on the same issues starting from the beginning.”
Noting that the EU will never become a side in Cyprus, Özgürgün said that the EU will have no right to intervene in the TRNC before Turkey becomes a member of the EU.
Çavuşoğlu: “A road map should be drawn that includes a five-party conference”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that the aim for the settlement talks is to ‘bear fruit’ and find a solution in 2016.
Any solution must take place within the framework of the February 11 2014 joint statement, and a concrete road map towards finding a permanent solution on the island and should be determined as soon as possible. These steps should also include a five-party conference.
In his statement following the meeting with President Mustafa Akıncı, Çavuşoğlu said that he discussed the current situation following the talks in Switzerland, and the strategy that is to be followed, with President Akıncı and the Government and opposition parties.
Expressing his gladness that Turkish Cypriot Negotiator Özdil Nami and two political parties in the government and the opposition parties were in agreement, Çavuşoğlu stated that Turkey always supports the negotiation process and added that they have the necessary political to achieve a result as soon as possible.
Çavuşoğlu indicated that Turkey always supports issues relating to security arrangements and guarantees, and stated that Turkey wanted a road map to be drawn which would include a five-party conference.
Kurtulmuş: “Turkey will never step back from supporting the existence of a bi-communal Cyprus where both sides have equal rights”
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş stated that Turkey will never step back from supporting the existence of a bi-communal Cyprus where both sides have equal rights.
According to Anadolu Agency, Kurtulmuş met with representatives from Turkish non-governmental organizations during his official visit to the UK.
In his speech, Kurtulmuş said that “A certain point has been reached in the Cyprus negotiations but it stopped at the last stage. Turkey supports a fair and permanent settlement on the island and does her best to help all parties achieve this aim.”
Intensive diplomatic traffic in Cyprus
A period of intensive diplomatic traffic has begun in Cyprus after the negotiations in Switzerland did not yield the expected result.
Following Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s visit to the island, the UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will also come to the island this week.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser to Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has come to the island and called for the negotiations to continue. It is expected that Eide will hold a series of meetings with a view to re-starting the negotiation process.
President Mustafa Akıncı will meet with the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser to Cyprus Espen Barth Eide today.
Akıncı will also receive the UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Wednesday, 30 November, 2016.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.