Akıncı: “April and May are key months to make a decision and face reality”
President Mustafa Akıncı stated that April and May are important months to make a decision regarding the Cyprus negotiations and added that talks cannot be dragged out.
He made these remarks while speaking at the conference “The Past, Present and Future of the Cyprus Problem” organized by the History Club of the Turk Maarif College for the fourth time. Akıncı said that his biggest wish is to be the last President who speaks about this topic and that he hopes there will be conferences to discuss the opportunities after a solution is reached.
Reminding that the solution-seeking process began in 1968 in Cyprus, after the Republic of Cyprus collapsed in 1963 and the Greek Cypriot side was unfairly considered the only legal government in the United Nations 186 Resolution, a fact that remains unfair until today, Akıncı said that a solution has not been reached so far due to the attitudes of the Greek Cypriot side.
He also said that although one of the proposals presented in 1993 included the opening of the closed city Maraş and the Nicosia Airport in the UN buffer zone, they could not be opened because of the policies applied by the Greek Cypriots.
Moreover, Akıncı discussed the Annan Plan, which was rejected by the Greek Cypriots in the 2004 referendum, and said that the Greek Cypriot side became a member of the EU even though they had rejected the plan, while the Turkish Cypriots, who voted in favour of it, were not granted membership..
Reminding that the current negotiations process had entered a deadlock due to a decision taken by the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives to commemorate the 1950 Enosis plebiscite in schools, Akıncı said that Enosis has been the basis of all suffering in Cyprus, including the events of 1963 and 1974.
Akıncı emphasized that political equality, freedom and security are essential for the Turkish Cypriots, stressing that the Turkish Cypriots should not be dominated by anyone, and that they will never return to the conditions they lived in before 1974.
Akıncı emphasized that he will be ready to return to the negotiating table once the Greek Cypriot parliament declares the elimination of the Enosis decision.
Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu gave a briefing to the committee of the Newcastle University
Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu briefed a 33-member committee, which included students and academics from the Newcastle University in London, about the history of the Cyprus issue and the Cyprus negotiation process that has been ongoing for 50 years. The briefing took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Conference Hall.
Ertuğruloğlu spoke about the vision of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the negotiations. General Director of the Ministry Kemal Köprülü and Private Secretary Erol Vardan accompanied Minister Ertuğruloğlu at the briefing.
Burcu: “Negotiations will be made possible by eliminating the decision to commemorate the 1950 Enosis plebiscite in schools”
The Presidential Spokesperson Barış Burcu said that it would be possible to re-start negotiations if the Greek Cypriot Parliament and Administration completely eliminate the decision to commemorate the 1950 Enosis plebiscite in schools. Burcu stated that he conveyed to the UN Special Envoy Espen Barth Eide that President Mustafa Akıncı was available for a social meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades on 30 March, 31 March or 2 April. The meeting will take place on 2 April 2017.
In a written statement, Presidential Spokesperson Burcu said, “President Mustafa Akıncı had already stated that he would agree to a social meeting with the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades if the new law proposal to revoke the wrong Enosis decision by the Greek Cypriot Parliament was approved. As it is known, the decision was taken with votes from members of the AKEL and DISI parties. The meeting will now be held on 2 April in the UN buffer zone. The resumption of negotiations will be possible if the Enosis decision is eliminated completely”.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
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