Özersay: “Not being wise but being courageous is needed”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay called on the UN Secretary General’s Temporary Envoy to Cyprus Jane Holl Lute and said: “There is a need to be courageous, not to be wise in order to see that there is no common ground between the parties in the context of a federal partnership in Cyprus. The period of “pretending” should be over.”

Özersay delivered a speech at the closing of the international conference entitled “Cyprus Issue: Past, Present and the Vision for the Future” organized by the Near East University at which alternative models for a solution in Cyprus were discussed.

In his speech, Özersay called on the Greek Cypriots, Greeks, British, international academics and thinkers and opinion leaders and stated that thinking and producing new ideas other than the established patterns are needed. Mentioning that the Turkish Cypriot side has been thinking about new ideas for a while, Özersay said that the Greek Cypriot academics and thinking people should also abandon the statements which have been continuing in Cyprus for 50 years and put forward new thoughts and discuss these with the Turkish Cypriot academics.

Indicating that they should leave aside the memorised statements and talk about what they can do together other than these, Özersay said that neither the Turkish Cypriot nor the Greek Cypriot side could accept the other side’s wishes and opinions in Cyprus.

Stating that a new thinking and dialogue process should be appropriate and in accordance with the current conditions in the island, Özersay said that the ideas that do not meet the conditions in the island will be condemned to stay in limbo.

Özersay said that the Greek Cypriot side does not want to share administration and wealth with the Turkish Cypriot side and they have no such will. Özersay also added that this reality is starting to be included in the UN reports. Expressing that during the last 50 years in Cyprus, there have been efforts to establish a partnership state Özersay said: “A Bi-communal, bi-zonal federal partnership” has been repeated continuously but the two sides understand and expect different things from the same statement.

Stating that there is no federal culture and experience in Cyprus to reach a federal partnership and keep it alive, Özersay said that they have had 3 years of functional federation experience where everything which should not be done has been done regarding the approval of laws and functioning of the state. Furthermore, expressing that there is no mutual confidence between the two sides, Özersay said that there is a question how a federal partnership can live without mutual confidence. Indicating that the need for a federal partnership is different in both sides Özersay said that it is not clear if there is a need for a federal partnership among the Greek Cypriot side.

Adding that it is another question if the status quo has the quality to give pain to both sides evenly, Özersay said that the island does not have the necessary conditions to establish a federal partnership and to keep it alive.

Özersay also expressed that the Cyprus conference in 2017 failed and after this the UN tried to do what they did not do during the past 50 years and added that there is a need for an evaluation period  and he wants the sides to think about the future targets.

Expressing that they should discuss what is possible and what is realistic, Özersay said that the time has come for the Greek Cypriot side to discuss what is possible and what is realistic without any political abuse.

Reminding that the UN Secretary-General appointed Lute as the Special Envoy on the  Cyprus issue in order to monitor the pulse of the parties in the following process, Özersay stated that 8 months have passed since this appointment and Lute has made many contacts and Özersay asked whether Lute has found if there is a common solution vision or not.

Calling on Lute that it is high time to prepare a report without delay and include her findings, Özersay said that the period of “pretending” should be over and if there is no common ground, the UN officials should say this sincerely and he called on the UN in this regard.

Stating that since the most basic parameters are explained and perceived in different ways then the UN officials are capable of understanding this, Özersay asked them to explain it openly and added that there is a need to be courageous, not to be wise in order to observe that there is no common ground or vision.

“In Cyprus, we no longer want UN envoys who only show courage after their retirement” Özersay said.