Akıncı: “Negotiations have stalled due to the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to accept political equality”

President Mustafa Akıncı has stated that the reason negotiations have stalled is due to the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to accept political equality.  Akıncı stressed that the fundamental principle of a “Federation includes political equality – there is no possibility of being preoccupied with minority and majority partners in a federation”.

President Akıncı was speaking during a joint press conference at the Presidency with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who is in the TRNC on an official visit. Akıncı stressed that he is preparing  his people for a solution even on the most difficult issues, and called on Anastasiades to do the same – particularly preparing the Greek Cypriot community for a rotating Presidency, shared with the Turkish Cypriots as part of the partnership state.

Akıncı addressed the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives’ decision to mark the Enosis decision in the schools, despite the delicate stage the negotiations had reached. “If you take the root cause of such conflict, ‘Enosis’, and vote to commemorate it,   you must understand that it will cause great indignation among the Turkish Cypriots” Akıncı said. Adding that the UN must play a vital role in overcoming this event, Akıncı continued, “The UN should see the reality and not conceal half of the reality as the Advisor Espen Barth Eide did. We will wait to see the developments and then determine our stance”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has met with President Mustafa Akıncı, the Prime Minister and political party representatives in order to evaluate the latest developments on the Cyprus talks. He welcomed the very fruitful discussions regarding next steps.

Stressing that President Akıncı, the TRNC negotiating team  and Turkey have important roles in the development of the talks, Çavuşoğlu added these parties  have always maintained their constructive attitude despite the fact that this was not always reciprocated by Greek Cypriot side. Çavuşoğlu emphasised in particular that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey had clearly demonstrated a constructive attitude at the technical meetings in the island and during the leaders’ meetings in Geneva, but in the last few months they have increasingly been confronted with nonconstructive attitudes from the Greek Cypriots side. Çavuşoğlu added that the attitudes of the Greek Cypriot side and Greece in Geneva were an indication of their not being ready for a solution in Cyprus.

“We have put forth very clearly as Turkey and the TRNC what we want and do not want. The framework of the negotiations is very clear. The 11 February 2014 Joint Statement sets very clear parameters for the negotiations. The basic principles are very clear. One of these is political equality and equality, freedom and security. Both the Greek Cypriot side and the whole world should accept that the Turkish Cypriot people are an equal partner on the island, otherwise a solution will not be possible in Cyprus” Çavuşoğlu stressed.