Akıncı: “Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey making the utmost effort within the framework determined by Guterres”
President Mustafa Akıncı said that Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey are making the utmost effort within the framework determined by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to reach a settlement in Cyprus.
Akıncı was responding to questions from the press following yesterday’s Cyprus conference. Akıncı said, “I have always told you the truth. Today’s reality is that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey are making the utmost effort for a solution within the framework determined by Guterres for reaching a solution in Cyprus”. Akıncı also added that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ arrival in Switzerland would be helpful.
Çavuşoğlu: “There must be a conclusion at this final-round Cyprus conference in Crans-Montana”
Stating that the ongoing Cyprus Conference is the “last conference” for a solution, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has made clear that there must be a conclusion at this round in Crans-Montana.
Minister Çavuşoğlu made a statement to journalists following the latest round of meetings at the Swiss resort where the Cyprus Conference is ongoing.
Noting that both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots came to the conference with good intentions and have made the utmost efforts in this direction since the Crans-Montana talks began, Çavuşoğlu added, “We know what we want and we have discussed our stance, and our red lines, since the very beginning. If there is to be a solution, a decision will need to be made this week.”
The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres participated in the conference last week and created a framework for discussions. Çavuşoğlu said: “We have repeatedly pushed for all topics to be discussed simultaneously and in a package format in order to save time. We have shown good intentions and flexibility but this needs to be reciprocated. Unfortunately, we have not seen any positive response from the other side. We have also unfortunately seen the leaking of some confidential documents despite express promises to the contrary”.
Çavuşoğlu emphasised that the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side’s good intentions must be reciprocated from the other side, and for them to also approach this process with sincerity.
Political parties jointly call for “intervention” from Guterres
Turkish Cypriot political party leaders, who are in Crans-Montana for the Cyprus Conference, called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to return to the talks to intervene as soon as possible.
A joint statement was prepared by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Serdar Denktaş, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Turfan Erhürman and Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit who are in Crans-Montana.
The statement noted that the political parties have been closely following the developments that had been taking place in Crans-Montana and have come to the realisation that the talks have reached a deadlock.
“In order to overcome the deadlock and in order for an outcome to be reached without any further delay we have come to the understanding that we need to display a unified position on behalf of all parties on North Cyprus” noted the statement.
Drawing attention to the fact that after the UN Secretary General came to Crans-Montana he was able to persuade both sides on the need to come to an agreement on the methodology, which led to much progress in the talks, the statement noted that, in spite of this, the second week of the negotiations began with a very different atmosphere compared to the end of the talks last week.
“If the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres does not return to the talks in Crans-Montana to mediate and intervene, then we fear it will not be possible to conclude the talks” the statement concluded.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
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