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.