Akıncı: “We have not given up on reaching a fair and timely solution”

In a statement to the media yesterday following the two days of negotiations in Geneva, President Mustafa Akıncı reiterated that, “We have not given up on reaching an early solution  which will uphold  our rights.” Speaking to media on his arrival at Ercan Airport, Akıncı pointed out that there is still cause for hope in the talks.

Akıncı stressed that the administration and power sharing, relations with the EU, property and economy were chapters where, although there are still issues to be solved, considerable progress has been made. It is because of this progress that the territory issue and the issue of security and guarantees have come to the agenda in recent days.

With regards to the five-party conference, Akıncı said that there had been initial discussions for a date, but this had been complicated by an announcement by Greece that that they would only come to the multiparty conference if certain preconditions were met. It was only after the UN Special Advisor, Espen Barth Eide, intervened to speak to both the Greek and Turkish leadership on the phone that the UN was able to confirm Greece would come to the meeting without preconditions.

Akıncı went on to say, “We didn’t go to Mont Pelerin to surrender the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. Our goal has always been to reach a solution on the basis of equality, freedom and security. The Greek Cypriots wanted the important criteria in territory to remain ambiguous. This is not a way to run the negotiations.”

“We went with all the good intentions. We respected the rights of the Greek Cypriots. 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 added.

Akıncı called on the public to keep their moral high and added that the Greek Cypriot side had to change the stance they displayed in Mont Pelerin.

The President added, “We should avoid entering into a blame game.  “We will not enter into a position that 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.”