- Erhürman: “Anastasiades must clarify what he means on 26 February” ….
- Çavuşoğlu: “We are starting to drill around Cyprus” (amended) ….
Erhürman: “Anastasiades must clarify what he means on 26 February”
President Mustafa Akıncı and Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman held a one-hour meeting today within the framework of their regular weekly meeting.
In his statement following the meeting, Erhürman pointed out that Anastasiades is expected to define his statements so far at the meeting on the 26th of February, 2019.
Indicating that Anastasiades has put forward different concepts for a long period of time and insistently refrains from making these concepts definite, Erhürman said that he needs to clarify what he means at this informal meeting so that other things can be discussed.
Erhürman also mentioned that some issues such as mobile phones and electricity within the context of confidence-building measures did not materialise due to the reluctant attitude of the Greek Cypriot side and added that although the two leaders agreed on the realization of these issues, the Greek Cypriot side avoided taking the steps, and progress could not be achieved.
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot side will not negotiate for the sake of negotiating, Erhürman said that it was not possible to negotiate on conditions where political equality was not accepted.
Erhürman said: “If Anastasiades’ current approach continues at the meeting, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that any result cannot be achieved”
Çavuşoğlu: “We are starting to drill around Cyprus”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said: “We are starting to drill with two vessels around Cyprus in the coming days “
In his speech at an event, Çavuşoğlu touched upon the Cyprus problem and said: “Cyprus is both a strategic target and a national cause for us”
Çavuşoğlu, continued as follows:
“Natural resources in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus are a strategic target and a national cause for us. We never let the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and Turkey be violated and we shall never let it be in the future. We are starting to drill with two vessels around Cyprus in the coming days. Nothing can be carried out in the Mediterranean excluding Turkey, we will never allow this.”
