President Akıncı: “If the negotiation process is restarted, it will be very different from the past”

President Mustafa Akıncı has stated that if the negotiation process is restarted, it will be very different from previous negotiations. He also announced that a representative from the UN will begin researching the will of people on the island for negotiations to restart.

Akıncı met with news editors in a joint live broadcast of the Turkish Cypriot televisions yesterday evening. He responded to questions regarding the internal issues in the TRNC and the Cyprus issue. The President also commented on a statement made the previous day by the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Nikos Anastasiades, in which he claimed that “the negotiations could not start under these conditions” and made reference to the recent Crans-Montana Talks.

Akıncı said that ‘two states under the EU membership’ was one of the topics to be discussed with Anastasiades, and emphasized that the methodology of the Cyprus negotiations should be changed, rather than the parameters.

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot side had an important role in organizing the five-party conference, Akıncı said, “Our impression is that the Greek Cypriot leadership cannot accept sharing authority, and could never accept a Turkish Cypriot as president in a joint federal state”.

Pointing to a map, Akıncı said,”if we want a solution, we have to give territory in return” but he highlighted that Anastasiades has never done this.

Akıncı noted that Anastasiades suspended the negotiation process due to the arrival of the Turkish Barbaros vessel, and that a similar situation is occurring now. He added: “We agree that the natural resources will be in the jurisdiction of the federal state, but since there is no federal state at present, if the Greek Cypriot side has a right, we also have a right to the resources.”

Referring to the next potential talks process and hydrocarbons exploration around the island, Akıncı said that Turkey has received a drilling vessel. He stated that if the Greek Cypriot side allows Exxon Mobil to drill in Block 10, then they have the right to fulfil the mandate given to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO).

President Akıncı further stated that Anastasiades must change his mentality, which has caused many difficulties to the Turkish Cypriots, for the resumption of negotiations. He added that there are currently no plans for a meeting between himself and the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Anastasiades.