Leaders to meet on 9th August
8 August, 2019Erenköy Resistance and the Martyrs remembered
9 August, 2019Stating that the unofficial meeting of Akıncı and Anastasiades will be held with an open agenda on Friday, August 9, 2019, Özersay said: “In my opinion, there will be a meeting during which some issues will be discussed concerning confidence-building measures and maybe some decisions can be taken. I have to say that I do not have high expectations regarding the comprehensive settlement negotiations or in the context of a comprehensive settlement.”
Indicating that the Greek Cypriot side will probably try to make some initiatives that will enable them to take part in the process regarding the closed city of Maraş, Özersay stressed that the TRNC government does not feel this would be right.
Mentioning that on the one hand, the Greek Cypriot side is trying to exclude the Turkish Cypriot side from the process of the natural gas issue, on the other hand it is not acceptable to ask for the right of say in the closed city of Maraş. Özersay said that the Greek Cypriot side leadership will want to prevent us from carrying out activities regarding the natural gas issue.
Özersay continued:
“If they come to us with the suggestion that we should establish a bi-communal committee together on natural gas and will discuss these issues among ourselves, we should not approach this positively, because what we want is not just a dialogue between the two sides. The decision-making process must be together as it relates to the resources to which we have a right.”
Mentioning that the closed city Maraş is a part of the TRNC and the buffer (military) zone which is under the control of the Turkish Cypriot Armed Forces, Özersay said: “We are authorised here. Of course, we can decide for the region to be converted from a military region, to a civilian region after 50 years.”