Akıncı: “Greek Cypriot leader did not respect our sensitivities, and slammed the door hard”

President Mustafa Akıncı said that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades walked out of negotiations in the buffer zone yesterday.

In a statement at the Presidency following his meeting with Anastasiades, Akıncı said that when the issue of the resolution taken in the Greek Cypriot Parliament marking the Enosis Plebiscite was discussed, Anastasiades stated there was nothing else to say and left, slamming the door behind him, despite Eide’s effort to provide conciliation.

Akıncı asked Anastasiades at the meeting to clarify his stance on the issue and take steps to rescind the decision to mark the Enosis plebiscite at schools. Akıncı also asked Anastasiades to make clear to his people that he does not support this decision.
“We were waiting for Anastasiades to publicly announce this and then take a step to denounce the law but he did not give us a guarantee or reassurances on this issue,” Akıncı said.

Akıncı stated that the Greek Cypriot side simply submitted a 5 page text with their contrary arguments, did not listen to the concerns of the Turkish Cypriot side on this highly sensitive issue and left the meeting despite the efforts of the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide.

However, Akıncı stressed it was possible to return to the negotiations, and that it was up to the Greek Cypriot side to open the door again.