Akıncı: “New stance of the Greek Cypriot leadership is unacceptable”
President Mustafa Akıncı has stated that it is not possible to accept Greek Cypriot leadership’s new stance on the negotiation process, which proposes to discuss the security and guarantees and territorial issues first, before handling the other four chapters.
In his written statement, President Akıncı evaluated the attitude of the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades. Stating that Anastasiades’ stance contradicts all agreements and is not well intentioned nor solution-oriented, Akıncı said, “It is impossible to reach a positive result with these prerequisites, which are repeated every day by the Greek Cypriot leader and the spokesperson.”
Akinci issued a reminder that there are six chapters in the negotiations and added that it was agreed that the leaders should discuss all issues inter-related. He added that if a conclusion to the talks is desired, at the current stage, it is necessary to focus on the whole picture with a holistic approach.
Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu to visit TRNC
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will pay an official visit to the TRNC in order to hold meetings on the Cyprus issue.
Çavuşoğlu, who is expected to come to the TRNC this evening, will hold evaluation meetings regarding the negotiation process with President Mustafa Akıncı , the negotiating team, and leaders of the political parties represented in the Assembly.Çavuşoğlu, who will hold a joint press conference with President Akıncı, will also meet with the Speaker of the Assembly, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
Responding to press questions following a meeting with the Gabon Foreign Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya in Ankara earlier this week, Çavuşoğlu said that the Cyprus negotiations have accelerated after the joint declaration on 11 February 2014, and added that their aim is to achieve a permanent solution within this framework.
The Turkish Foreign Minister said that the solution parameters are obvious, and that the negotiations on 12 January were realized at the level of foreign ministers. He added that the road map was clarified at that meeting and negotiations have continued within this framework.
Çavuşoğlu added: “Within the last 3-4 months we see that the Greek Cypriot side is trying to undermine the negotiation process. There may be different reasons for this, but one of them is the presidential election for the Greek Cypriot side in February 2018. In recent days, Anastasiades has begun setting preconditions for attending the five party conference in Geneva, and these are contrary to the joint statement of 11th February 2014, and the Geneva document of 12 January. Unfortunately, the process has been blocked.”
During his speech, Çavuşoğlu also referred to the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Eide’s visit to Ankara.
Mentioning that Eide visited Greece for the continuation of the process before travelling to Turkey, Çavuşoğlu said that during his visit, Turkey confirmed her belief in the process, and that the preconditions made by Anastasiades are unacceptable.
“We are ready to go to Geneva. We’re ready for a five-party conference. As a country that wants a solution, as a country that has supported all solution initiatives, including the Annan Plan, until now, we are still in this line, but we will not accept preconditions”, Çavuşoğlu said.
Following his meetings on the island, Çavuşoğlu is expected to leave the TRNC on Thursday evening.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
In the past week the world has started to look at sleepy North and South Cyprus and take interest in the UN efforts to try and help the two communities find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem and the division of the island since 1974. This drive for a solution culminated in a 5 Party Conference including the TRNC, RoC and the 3 Guarantor powers but an agreement was not reached due to disagreement over Security Guarantees and Land Exchange. and further preparations and discussions will start again today the 18th January to seek the final solution.
International Geneva Conference
Why was Cyprus divided? The rift in Cyprus goes back to the time of the Ottoman rule when many Greek Cypriots supporting the Greek independence effort that began in 1821 and became independent in 1829, many Greek Cypriots sought the incorporation of Cyprus into Greece which failed and Cyprus remained part of the Ottoman Empire.
After WW1, Britain declared the complete annexation of Cyprus into the British Empire in 1914 as the Ottomans had aligned themselves with central powers in WW1 and the colony of British Cyprus was proclaimed in 1925.
Following a terrorist campaign by the Greek Cypriot military group EOKA during the Cyprus Emergency period of 1955 to 1959 to remove the British from Cyprus (Enosis) so it could be unified with Greece and the United Kingdom granted the independence of Cyprus in 1959.
Makarios speaking as the First President of the Republic of Cyprus
The Guarantor Powers, Britain, Turkey and Greece declared the formation of the Republic of Cyprus on 16th August 1960 with Greek Cypriot Archbishop Makarios III being elected the first president of independent Cyprus with Turkish Cypriot, Fazıl Küçük, the Vice President with extensive veto rights and in 1961 the Republic of Cyprus became the 99th member of the United Nations. To read the full text of the Guarantee Treaty of 1960 click here
With a revival of EOKA activities and renewed intercommunal fighting in 1963 click here after which there was a cease fire in 1964 Dr.Kucuk several times requested from the United Nations their security to return to the Parliament. This return was refused by Makarios and Clerides unless the Turkish side accepted 13 conditions to change the constitution to include abolishing the Turkish local councils and guarantees.
There was heavy fighting in 1963 to 64 and neither the Turkish Cypriot MPs or Turkish Cypriots could take the risk of crossing the Green Line border without risking their lives.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established in Cyprus under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order.
Following the 1974 Greek Cypriot coup d’état supported and encouraged by Greece, President Makarios on 19th July 1974 went to the UN Council to tell them about the Cyprus problem and who was at fault and said:
MAKARIOS: “… It may be said that it was the Cyprus Government which invited the Greek officers to staff the National Guard. I regret to say that it was a mistake on my part to bestow upon them so much trust and confidence. They abused that trust and confidence and, instead of helping in the defence of the Island’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, they themselves became the aggressors… the events in Cyprus do not constitute an internal matter of the Greeks of Cyprus. The Turks of Cyprus are also affected…The Security Council should call upon the military regime of Greece to withdraw from Cyprus the Greek officers serving in the National Guard, and to put an end to its invasion of Cyprus…” Click here to read the full speech by Makarios to the United Nations.
On 20th July 1974 the Turkish Armed Forces launched “Operation Atilla” a peace intervention operation in Cyprus as their right as a guarantor power which was intended to safeguard the lives of the Turkish Cypriots who had been driven into enclaves and under threat of annihilation. They had requested help and support from the United Kingdom, the other guarantor power but this request was denied.
Turkish forces arrive in Cyprus in 1974 to stop the bloodshed
In Resolution 573, the Council of Europe supported the legality of the Turkish invasion (intervention) as per Article 4 of the Guarantee Treaty of 1960, which allows Turkey, Greece, and the United Kingdom to unilaterally intervene militarily in failure of a multilateral response to crisis in Cyprus.
The Court of Appeal in Athens further stated in 1979 that the Turkish invasion (intervention) was legal and that “The real culprits… are the Greek officers who engineered and staged a coup and prepared the conditions for the invasion (intervention)”.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) extended and expanded the mission to prevent the dispute turning into war, and UNFICYP was redeployed to patrol the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus and assist in the maintenance of the military status quo. Since its establishment, the force has also worked in concert with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and representatives of the two communities to seek an amicable diplomatic solution to the Cyprus dispute.
Peace moves rejected by Greek Cypriots
A fine article by Ismail Veli which brings the facts stated on many occasions by ex Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Nicos Rolandis, that a total of 15 peace plans have been developed and 14 were rejected by Greek Cypriots and 1 by both communities upto and including the Annan Plan.
So do we need to preserve the Cyprus Treaty of Guarantee?
A recent Cyprus Mail review stated – “If the Treaty of Guarantee was necessary in 1960, it certainly isn’t now” which puts one side of the current argument which is for the removal of security guarantees. Click here to read the article in full.
Click here to read another fine analysis written by Kudret Ozersay after the failure of the Annan plan when the Republic of Cyprus voted against an agreement.
In the final analysis, we include a statement by President Erdogan of Turkey, and his view for the need to preserve security guarantees that can be read by clicking here.
Cyprus – UN Resolution 186 – What Does It Mean And What Impact Has It Had?
Ismail Veli looks at the UN Resolution 186 dated 1964 about “The Cyprus Question” in which the Security Council stated “Noting that the present situation with regard to Cyprus is likely to threaten international peace and security and may further deteriorate unless additional measures are promptly taken to maintain peace and to seek out a durable solution”
The UN aspirations to resolve The Cyprus Question have still not been achieved and do please click here to read the full article.
To read UN resolution 186 in full, please click here
Conclusion:
So there we have it, the Republic of Cyprus has invested heavily in defense since 1974 and is said to be one of the most heavily armed countries in the world and ready to defend its territory from further Turkish military incursions. Many Turkish Cypriots worry that if the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee is abolished and Turkish and Greek armed forces leave the island, will they see a return of ethnic violence between the 2 communities if Cyprus becomes two communities within one state again.
For further reading and information:
Cyprus Mail – “1963 is still a historical minefield”
Should guarantees remain?
The beginning of the the end and buildup to the division of Cyprus has been described by Elias Hazou on 22nd December 2013 in the article you can read by clicking here,
Some will argue that both sides were to blame but when you read that there was systematic action taken by the Greek Cypriots to change the Republics constitution and exclude Turkish Cypriots from governance of a two community the dye was being cast for a path of no return.
In this article it quotes a summary by Richard Patrick who was an officer in UNFICYP in the late 1960s and pursued his interest in the Cyprus conflict as a doctoral student in political geography at the London School of Economics. This research was published as ‘Political Geography and the Cyprus Conflict, 1963-1971.’
Summarising his findings – Patrick wrote: “The general trends of the December 1963 – August 1964 period are clear. . . Decisions were made to implement the conflicting ideas of enosis [union with Greece] and taksim [partition] by various coercive movements. Violence induced a refugee movement which altered existing demographic fields.”
Now in 2017 further attempts at reaching a peaceful settlement are in part blocked by the insistence by the Greek Cypriots that Security Guarantees should be removed and this is countered by the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey that Guarantees should remain even if in a revised form.
Given the past history of a attempts at ethnic cleansing of the island its going to take more than just words build trust so that two communities finally agree to live together again under one flag.
Did the Greek Cypriots divide Cyprus?
Ismail Veli brings us a view of a divided Cyprus with the Greek Cypriots maintaining economic pressure through Embargoes to force the Turkish Cypriots into concessions at the negotiation table. The fact that 60/70.000 Turkish Cypriots, 50% of the population, have also lost their homes in the south of Cyprus but this it seems, is never mentioned when the return of land is discussed at peace meetings.
In a telegram from British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan dated 11 October 1974, he said “The action which the Cyprus government have taken in removing the three ports in the Turkish controlled area from the list of approved points of entry to the republic is in our view a diversive and undesirable measure.”
Having lived in Northern Cyprus for a number of years it’s not surprising that I should develop an understanding and sympathy for the Turkish Cypriot plight and more so when you realise that their blood line goes back to the Ottomans who arrived here in 1571 from Turkey and ruled the island that remained part of the Ottoman Empire until it was ceded to Britain in 1878. During this period the Ottomans sent a sizeable Anatolian Turkish population to the island and some other nationalities who had also settled here on the island also adopted the muslim faith and became what would be considered to be “Turkish Cypriots”.
So what has all the problems in Cyprus been about and when did it start and by who?
During the Ottoman rule the first unrest started with many Greek Cypriots supporting the Greek independence effort that began in 1821 and this led to severe reprisals by the Ottoman Empire. When Greece became independent in 1829, many Greek Cypriots sought the incorporation of Cyprus into Greece, but it remained part of the Ottoman Empire.
Following the First World War, Britain declared the complete annexation of Cyprus into the British Empire in 1914 as the Ottomans had aligned themselves with central powers in WW1. The colony of British Cyprus was proclaimed a decade later, in 1925.
The United Kingdom granted the independence of Cyprus in 1959 following the Cyprus Emergency period of 1955 to 1959 which saw a terrorist campaign by the Greek Cypriot military group EOKA to remove the British from Cyprus so it could be unified with Greece.
The process of independance started in 1959 when the United Kingdom granted independence of Cyprus with an agreement conference by both Cypriot community leaders with Britain, Turkey and Greece that declared the Republic of Cyprus on 16 August 1960 with Greek Cypriot Archbishop Makarios III being elected the first president of independent Cyprus with Turkish Cypriot Fazıl Küçük, the Vice President with extensive veto rights and in 1961 the Republic of Cyprus became the 99th member of the United Nations.
With a revival of EOKA activities and renewed intercommunal fighting in 1963 click here the Turkish Cypriot officials of the Republic of Cyprus in protest at the changes being made to the constitution, withdrew from their state positions including the position of the Vice President.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established in Cyprus under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order.
The Akritas plan click here was created in 1963 by the Greek Cypriot part of the Republic of Cyprus government with the ultimate aim of weakening the Turkish Cypriot (ethnic Turks living in the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus) and then uniting Cyprus with Greece. The desired union of Greek Cypriots with Greece was referred to as Enosis.
Following the 1974 Greek Cypriot coup d’état supported and encouraged by Greece and the Turkish intervention in Cyprus as one of the 3 guarantor powers of Cyprus to prevent any further bloodshed, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) extended and expanded the mission to prevent the dispute turning into war, and UNFICYP was redeployed to patrol the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus and assist in the maintenance of the military status quo. Since its establishment, the force has also worked in concert with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and representatives of the two communities to seek an amicable diplomatic solution to the Cyprus dispute.
In 1975, the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus (Kıbrıs Türk Federe Devleti) was declared as a first step towards a future federated Cypriot state, but was rejected by the Republic of Cyprus and the United Nations.
After eight years of failed negotiations with the leadership of the Greek Cypriot community, the Turkish Cypriots unilaterally declared its independence on 15 November 1983 under the name of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and this act was rejected by the UN and the Republic of Cyprus.
So where are we now with yet another UN sponsored round of peace talks and their desire to make the Turkish and Greek Cypriots live together under one flag despite the enmity and lack of trust that has existed between them since 1821 when many Greek Cypriots supported the Greek independence effort. This time it seems, it’s a make or break meeting in Geneva to not just make peace but reunite the two communities as one nation which perhaps neither community want.
The world news media pays very little attention to Cyprus and its problems and that of the Turkish Cypriots, so it was refreshing to find two video debates conducted by Francois Picard and hosted by France 24 as under.
Peace at last? Cyprus closer than ever to deal (part 1)
Please be patient and fast forward the video to the start of the France 24 debate on the Cyprus issue.
This first video has given a number of commentators an opportunity to give their explanation of how the Cyprus problem had developed.
Peace at last? Cyprus closer than ever to deal (part 2)
The second video shows a number of commentators expressing their views of how the peace talks have progressed and what they consider the chances of a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem may be.
So what’s it all been about and where is it going? Well like so many previous attempts by the UN to get the two communities to agree to bury the hatchet and agree to live together, the talks have almost stalled. The UN understandably cannot admit failure and has announced that technical talks are to continue and a working group will be established in order to identify specific questions and the instruments needed to address them. The group will commence its work on 18 January.
What I find puzzling that there is a lot of talk about exchange of land with land in the North being handed by the TRNC to the RoC and maps being exchanged by both sides showing what they will agree to which has caused an impasse and I would question what will happen to the land in the south which belongs to Turkish Cypriots like Larnaca airport for instance?
For a more overall view of the current progress of the Cyprus Peace talks please read the summaries by TRNC President Akinci, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and the TRNC Presidential Spokesperson Barış Burcu in the article below.
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Geneva Cyprus conference UN joint statement
Following the completion of the first session of the 5-party Conference in Geneva with the participation of both sides and the guarantor countries, today the 13th January the UN made a statement on behalf of both parties. The UN emphasized that this historic opportunity to reach a solution in Cyprus should not be missed.
The Conference on Cyprus was convened on 12 January 2017, in Geneva, under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with the participation of H.E. Mr. Mustafa Akıncı and H.E. Mr. Nikos Anastasiades, the Foreign Ministers of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom as guarantor powers and in the presence of the European Union as an observer.
In the statement Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akıncı were praised for the remarkable progress made over the past 20 months in the Cyprus talks. It was noted that it was only possible to convene the conference yesterday due to leaders’ dedicated work.
The statement continues as follows:
“The discussions today (12th January) underscored the participants’ intention to find mutually acceptable solutions on security and guarantees that address the concerns of both communities. They recognized that the security of one community cannot come at the expense of the security of the other. They also acknowledged the need to address the traditional security concerns of the two communities while at the same time developing a security vision for a future united federal Cyprus. The participants recognized that this is the time to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion. This is an historic opportunity that should not be missed. The participants therefore committed to supporting the process towards a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus.”
The statement added that all interested parties’ efforts will be necessary for the forthcoming period. Therefore, to this end, a working group will be established in order to identify specific questions and the instruments needed to address them. The group will commence its work on 18 January. The conference will continue at political level immediately thereafter to review the outcome of the working group’s discussion.
To read more of this UN Statement please click here
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is ready to “play ball” on reaching a deal to reunify divided Cyprus because it would help resolve overarching regional issues including mending Turkey’s relations with the European Union, a United Nations envoy said Dec. 8.
But U.N. secretary-general’s special envoy on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide indicated that it was unclear where Erdoğan wants to steer a summit in Geneva next month that aims to hammer out a comprehensive peace accord.
Greece, Turkey and Cyprus’ former colonial ruler the United Kingdom will participate at a five-party summit from Jan. 9, 2017 to Jan. 12, 2017 to overcome the major hurdle of providing security in a federation made up of the Greek- and Turkish-speaking zones.
Turkish President Erdoğan
“I think Erdoğan is ready to play ball and that’s what they communicate,” Eide told the Associated Press in an interview. But it is less clear what Turkey’s negotiating position will be, he said.
The island was divided between a Greek south and a Turkish north when the Turkish military intervened in 1974 under the terms of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee in response to an Athens-backed coup aiming to unite the island with Greece……
Greece insists military intervention rights that Cyprus’ 1960 constitution accorded to the guarantor nations must be scrapped under any peace deal. Turkey wants to keep a troop presence in a post-settlement Cyprus; Turkish Cypriots see that as essential to their security but Greek Cypriots view it as a threat. Britain says it will abide by what the two sides on the island decide.
Eide met with Greek and Turkish officials earlier this week to help prepare a security formula that will be acceptable to all sides. The U.N. envoy said neither Greece nor Turkey wants one of Europe’s most intractable problems to remain frozen, because a Cyprus deal would help resolve problems that are part of a “big picture.”
Cyprus undersea gas deposits
The U.N. envoy said a Cyprus peace deal would go a long way in boosting cooperation on exploiting the East Mediterranean’s substantial undersea gas deposits. It would also help restore frayed EU-Turkey relations, particularly regarding an agreement preventing refugees reaching Europe.
A reunified Cyprus would also have a “symbolic effect” on a strife-torn region while an expected economic boom on the island would “inspire” neighboring countries, said Eide.
But the U.N. envoy warned that failure this time may result in a change of the “status quo” on the island. He did not elaborate on what the change could entail.
He added Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı feel they could work out a deal they can both “live with” on how much territory will make up the two federal zones – something that caused talks to briefly deadlock last month.
Eide said next month’s Geneva summit will “almost certainly” run longer than the scheduled four days.
The U.N. envoy said if all goes well, the two leaders aim to put a finalized deal to a simultaneous vote on both sides somewhere around the middle of next year, after a few months of sorting out the details of how a deal will be implemented and explained to the public.
The UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor to Cyprus Espen Barth Eide was in a flurry of diplomatic meetings yesterday in a bid to assess the mood following the failed talks in Mont Pèlerin, Switzerland last week.
Eide met separately with President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiadis.
The UN Special Envoy also met with Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Democrat Party Serdar Denktaş and the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhürman.
On Wednesday Eide will meet with the British Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, who arrives on the island later today.
After meeting with Eide, Johnson will have separate meetings with Akıncı and Anastasiades, followed by a second meeting with Eide.
Speaking to reporters following a 90 minute meeting with President Mustafa Akıncı, Eide said he did not believe restarting the talks would be an easy feat but the UN was doing its best to help through shuttle diplomacy.
He said that talks had experienced a setback in Mont Pèlerin and that efforts to overcome the current deadlock were continuing.
“We have not been able to achieve this so far but our meetings to overcome the problem will continue. It will not be easy but we shall be doing all we can through shuttle diplomacy. However it is up to the leaders to decide whether or not they will return to the negotiating table and whether they will plan for the weeks ahead” he said.
He said he felt a strong commitment from both sides to find a way to overcome the obstacle but no one could pretend nothing happened at Mont Pèlerin.
In the afternoon, the UN Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide paid a visit to Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Democrat Party Serdar Denktaş.
Speaking after the visit, Denktaş said that they had conveyed to Eide that their stance regarding the talks was not very positive.
“We conveyed to Mr. Eide the importance of not dragging the process and determining a date for a 5-party conference before the end of the year. It is important that the two leaders meet and to achieve a result one way or the other” he said.
The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhürman who spoke after meeting with the UN Special Envoy said that they tried to understand what really went wrong at Mont Pèlerin.
“From what we can see and understand is that the talks became an issue of strategy. However the Greek Cypriot side’s stance at Mont Pèlerin which was to take all that it wanted on the territory chapter , leaving only the issue of security and guarantees to the 5-party conference was unacceptable for the Turkish Cypriot side. The Turkish Cypriot side’s sensitivities on the issue of security and guarantees are well known. We conveyed this to Mr. Eide” he said.
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün has said that the European Union will have no say in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus if Turkey is excluded from the bloc.
The Prime Minister’s words came during an interview to the Anadolu Agency in response to the non-binding motion passed by the European Parliament yesterday urging the European Commission and national governments to temporarily halt membership talks with Turkey.
He said that no one could drag Turkish Cypriots into a situation where Turkey was not present and where they would be under threat of becoming a minority under Greek or Greek Cypriot influence.
“We will never allow this to happen” he said.
Touching upon the Mont Pèlerin talks, Özgürgün said that the Greek Cypriots had negotiated in the presence of the international community to change the balances in their favour.
“Greek Cypriots have never seen Turkish Cypriots as their equals nor do they accept Turkey’s presence or guarantees in Cyprus” he added.
The Prime Minister also accused the Greek Cypriot side of trying to lay the blame of the failure of the Mont Pèlerin talks on Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side.
“The international community continues to make mistakes on the Cyprus Issue acting unfairly and unjustly against Turkish Cypriots” he said, adding that the international community refused to hold the Greek Cypriot side or Greece accountable for the role they played in the failure of the talks.
He questioned what the purpose of continuing the talks will be if the Greek Cypriot side intends to continue dragging the process.
“We see no point in continuing these negotiations. If these talks will be held just for the sake of holding talks why should we (the Turkish Cypriot side) sit at the negotiating table and waste all our time and energy? The Greek Cypriot side will continue to pursue its strategy of playing for time for years. We will not be able to reach an outcome for years” he said.
President Mustafa Akıncı complained that the Greek Cypriot side’s stance had changed in the 2nd Mont Pèlerin summit in Switzerland.
He pointed out that the discussions had collapsed there because of what he described as the Greek Cypriot side’s approach on territory.
Speaking to reporters upon his return at Ercan airport last night, the President said that they had an initial understanding to take up different issues at different tables interdependently at a 5 party conference.
He also said that an understanding had also been established with the Greek Cypriot side for the two guarantor powers Turkey and Greece to hold their own talks on security and guarantees but that this idea had later been rejected by the Greek Cypriot leadership.
Pointing out that the summit had succeeded in gaining the attention of the international community which in return had pushed Turkey and Greece to start discussing this issue, President Akıncı pointed out that the discussions in Mont Pèlerin had pushed the Turkish and Greek leadership into meeting soon as both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras were in discussions to meet.
With regards to the five-party conference, Akıncı said that discussions for a date had been talked about; however with Greece announcing that they would only come to the multiparty conference on preconditions had led to UN Special Advisor, Espen Barth Eide, to speak with both the Greek and Turkish leadership on the phone. It was after this diplomacy that the UN confirmed Greece would come to the meeting without preconditions.
Also touching upon developments that took place at the 1st Mont Pèlerin summit, the President said “They (the Greek Cypriot side) tried to conclude the issue of territory in favour of themselves; attempting to diminish the Turkish Cypriot side’s negotiating strength in the process. Instead of accepting an introductory map to be taken up at a 5 party conference, the Greek Cypriot side attempted to conclude the issue of territorial adjustment in line with their own interests, trying to determine the number of people to be allowed to return”.
Akıncı also complained that the Greek Cypriot side deliberately avoided clarifying important issues pertaining to the property issue.
He said that such a negotiating process was unacceptable.
“The Greek Cypriot side without first solving issues vital to the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ political equality such as rotational presidency and active participation in decision making, attempted to conclude all discussions on territory at the very first meeting, ignoring the fact that some aspects of these issues were to be discussed at the 5 party conference. The talks entered a deadlock and failed to produce any results after the Greek Cypriot side insisted on its stance” he said.
Akıncı went on to say “We didn’t go to Mont Pèlerin to surrender the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots wanted the important criteria in territory to remain ambiguous. This is not a way to run the negotiations”, he said.
He went on that the territory issue was a difficult one and one that foreigners had put in front of the two sides over the past years. “This was the first time as Cypriots that we were trying to solve this issue ourselves”, said the President
“We went with all good intentions. We took important steps but we did not see the same from the south. It was their insistence on territory that led to the failure of the talks there”, he said
President Akıncı also added that the next few days will reveal whether or not the process would be in danger.
He however called on the public to keep their morale high and added that the Greek Cypriot side had to change the stance they displayed in Mont Pèlerin.
“We are not in the intention of playing the blame game” he said.
“We will not enter into a position which will result in a non-solution nor run away from the talks. However it is not right to continue with a process which will not result in a solution either”, he said.
Meanwhile President Mustafa Akıncı will be briefing members of parliament on the Mont Pèlerin talks at an extraordinary session on Thursday.
The session which will start at 10 am will be closed to the press.
The Turkish Cypriot platform “We do not give an inch of ground”comprising residents of Morphou [Güzelyurt] on Sunday held a protest on the northern side of Zodia [Bostanci] border crossing to demonstrate against giving the town back under a Cyprus solution.
According to CNA, a spokesman for the group of residents said that they wanted to convey the message that they would not accept handing over one inch of land to the Cyprus Church or to the Greek Cypriots.
They also called on the Turkish Cypriot leadership to clearly state that Morphou [Güzelyurt] would remain under a Turkish Cypriot constituent state because they didn’t want to become refugees again.
Last Sunday during an event for Greek Cypriots who had to flee the town in 1974, President Nicos Anastasiades said there would be no Cyprus solution without the return of Morphou to Greek Cypriot administration. Turkish Cypriots who would have to move, he said, would be fully supported.
A peace deal can be reached on Cyprus within 90 days if both sides of the divided Mediterranean island are willing and decisive about the issue, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı has said.
“We have come to a point where the willpower, political courage and decisiveness factors weigh more heavily than the time factor. If there is will and decisiveness then 90 days is enough [to reach a peace deal on the island],” Akıncı said in a televised interview on Sept. 15 in response to a question on whether Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades would take a possible resolution to his nation, according to a transcript of the interview published on the Turkish Cypriot Presidency’s website on Sept. 15.
Akıncı added that out of the total of six negotiation chapters, a consensus was reached in most of the topics under four chapters, while the remaining two chapters – Security and Guarantees, and Territory – would not take up as much time as the Governance and Power-Sharing, and Property chapters. Ninety days would therefore be enough to reach the long-anticipated deal.
Akıncı comments on Anastasiades’ social media post
Akıncı said his Greek Cypriot counterpart had engaged in an effort to prepare his side for a possible resolution on the island, citing a recent Facebook post by Anastasiades.
Southern Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades
“There was a statement [by Anastasiades] on Facebook. There were very bold remarks. He was able to express some things [topics] that was not pronounced previously and that he had also not said,” Akıncı said. “But we need to see if it will continue. We will see this within 90 days.”
The eastern Mediterranean island was divided into a Turkish Cypriot state in the north and a Greek Cypriot state in the south after a 1974 military coup aimed at unification with Greece was followed by the intervention of Turkey as a guarantor power.
Efforts to find a peaceful solution to the more than 40-year-old conflict were relaunched after previously failed peace talks were opened once again in May 2015 following the election of Akıncı as the new president of Turkish Cyprus.
On Sept. 14, speaking after the final meeting of a series of intensified meetings between Akıncı and Anastasiades, the U.N. Secretary-General’s special Adviser for Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said the two sides were committed to reaching a peace deal before the year ends, but gaps on controversial issues remained.
Akıncı and Anastasiades are scheduled to meet U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sept. 25 in New York in a tripartite meeting, while the United Nations General Assembly will be held…..
‘Turkey, Greece talking over Cyprus peace deal’
Akıncı said negotiations would continue after the meeting in New York with Ban and the multi-partite conference, including the guarantor states, would be hold in a later and unspecified date.
“The foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece are talking. These talks will enhance in New York [during the General Assembly]. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan and [Greek Prime Minister Alexis] Tsipras will also meet. Eide went to Athens [recently] and held a meeting with Tsipras for one-and-a-half hours, and he met with [Greek] Foreign Minister [Nikos] Kotzias for three-and-a-half hours. Greece is now involved in the process,” he added.
Akıncı reiterated that the peace process negotiations should reach an end in 2016 as there were many risks in 2017. He said the last months of 2016 were crucial, referring the start of searches for natural gas reserves, the presidential elections in the Greek Cypriot administration set for 2018, and the United States presidential elections in November, after which U.S. President Barack Obama, who supports the Cyprus peace process, will leave office.
‘Two founding states, one identity’
Speaking about the details of the federal state that will be formed if a deal is reached, Akıncı said the new state would have two founding states but its international identity, sovereignty and citizenship would be one.
He said the new federal state would hold the powers that will be listed in the new constitution and the topics left out of that list would be governed by the two founding states, “such as the health and education topics.”
“Foreign policy will be a federal authority with the contribution of the founding states,” Akıncı said.
He also stated that both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots would have four fundamental guaranteed freedoms in a settlement: Movement, settlement, business establishment, and possession.
I HAVE written here in the past that the main reason the Cyprus problem could not be solved for so many years was because it was in the hands of lawyers and monks. Admittedly, the monks are no longer directly involved, but the lawyers certainly are.
The nature of their profession means lawyers create rather than solve problems. If there were no disputes they would have no work. It has often been said, quite rightly, that if you do not want a problem solved give it to lawyers.
The lawyer Christos Triantafyllides makes a habit of tweeting his patriotic views. After the football victory of the Cyprus under-21 national side against Turkey in Ankara, he addressed a sarcastic tweet to the president of the Cyprus Football Federation Costakis Koutsokoumnis. This was the man Triantafyllides had lambasted for wearing a Turkish football shirt when he played in a fun match. “Mr Koutsokoumnis do not punish them because the crescent lost,” he tweeted after the young team’s win.
This was not written by some impetuous teenager. It was written by a respectable lawyer, whom Averof Neophytou has appointed head of his ‘Cyprus problem committee’ at Disy and President Anastasides has as an advisor in the negotiations. I will not comment on the shabby behaviour or the immaturity shown by Triantafyllides. I want to point out Anastasiades’ and Neophytou’s lack of seriousness. How can a rational person believe that these people sincerely want to solve the Cyprus problem when they have Triantafyllides as an advisor?
Polys Polyviou
Another lawyer, Polys Polyviou, who is also a member of the negotiating team, published an email in Simerini expressing strong disagreements over the handling of various issues being discussed at the talks. I will not disagree with him about the foolish idea regarding the mechanism for resolving disputes between the two sides. Anastasiades, also a lawyer, had agreed that if there were a tie in the vote of the members of the committee, one of the judges would be removed by draw.
But I will comment on another position of his. In his email, Polyviou expressed “strong concerns about the transitional periods, wondering how Turkey would be pressured, after the agreement of a settlement, to implement everything it had agreed.” This is absurdist reasoning. It was the main ‘argument’ used by Tassos Papadopoulos and all the rejectionists in the debate that took place before the 2004 referendum……
“Who guarantees us that Turkey will not trick us and not implement the agreement,” was the question they constantly asked. Polyviou should forgive me, but I cannot accept such crass nonsense from a sensible man.
First of all, our behaviour in the past, as the Greek Cypriot side, does not exactly give us the right to raise such an issue. Polyviou knows very well that the one and only time we made an agreement with Turkey – in 1960 – it was we fools who refused to implement it. He even mentions this in one of his books and attributes “naivety and amateurishness” to Makarios for 1963.
We were the wise guys who, not only failed to honour the agreement, but just two years after signing it set up an armed organisation to scrap the state. The whole world knows this and we cannot hide our heads in the sand and hypocritically ask today who would pressure Turkey to implement everything that was agreed. Unfortunately, our stupidity was on such a grand scale back then that Mustafa Akinci could ask us the question raised by Polyviou about Turkey. And he would be perfectly justified.
It would also be interesting for Polyviou to answer the following: as he does not trust Turkey to implement an agreement, why has he for the past two years taken part in the negotiations? For the ride? Is this serious? Is it possible to enter a negotiating procedure, under the auspices of the UN, with the support and some involvement of big states, take part for two years, go to Europe, the US, Russia and China, begging them to help find an agreement and when you approach the end of the procedure tell the other side: ‘You know I was negotiating with you for two years, but now I have changed my mind and do not want us to reach an agreement because I suspect you will not implement it.’
Who does Polyviou think we are fooling? Akinci, Turkey, the UN, the US, who? And who does he think we are to take everyone for a ride like international cowboys.
Lawyers simply cannot solve the Cyprus problem, and a lot of trouble lies ahead.
In the afternoon, the UN Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide paid a visit to Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Democrat Party Serdar Denktaş.
