Akıncı: “It is time for a settlement in Cyprus, and to end the negotiation process that has been ongoing for the last 50 years”

President Mustafa Akıncı stated that it is time for a settlement in Cyprus and to end the negotiation process that has been ongoing for the last 50 years.

President Mustafa Akıncı received Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who came to the TRNC in order to hold meetings on the Cyprus issue.

President Akıncı and Minister Çavuşoğlu held a joint press conference after the talks at the Presidency.

Stating that they held a meeting between the delegations and then a roundtable meeting regarding the negotiation process with Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the leaders of the opposition parties, Akıncı said that a good dialogue has been established with the parties in the Assembly and the authorities in Turkey.

Noting that they have arrived at the same views on this latest stage, Akıncı emphasised that it is time for a settlement in Cyprus and for the negotiation process that has continued for the last 50 years to finally come to an end.

Although it is not possible to progress the process with preconditions, Akıncı said that the Greek Cypriot side have, nonetheless, sat at the negotiation table with preconditions throughout, and that they are still at the same point today.

Akıncı stated that the Greek Cypriot side’s stance is not only contrary to the joint statement of 11th February 2014, and the Geneva document of 12 January, but also that it is not solution oriented.

All six chapters of the joint statement of 11th February 2014 should be discussed in detail; Akıncı stated that the Turkish Cypriot side has always been loyal to this mentality and that once again the TRNC and Turkey were in agreement on this.

Akıncı for his part stated that insisting on zero troops and zero security would mean ending the talks before they began.

He added: “We are ready to go to Geneva for a Conference on Cyprus without any preconditions and also ready to discuss every issue including all chapters. Yet if the Greek Cypriot side insist on their position of “let’s first deal with the issues of security and guarantees, finish the territory issue, then discuss the other 4 chapters”, these are all contrary to the overall framework and  will not enable us to reach a conclusion.

Reiterating that he has accepted the UN Secretary-General’s invitation, and he will come together with the Greek Cypriot Leader Anastasiades in New York on 4 June, Akıncı said that the Greek Cypriot side should show the same stance and accept to meet with the Turkish Cypriot side in Geneva without any preconditions and adhere to the framework agreements.

In his speech, Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu pointed out that, while there were some obstacles and breaks in the Cyprus negotiation process, Turkey is always beside the TRNC. Despite the negative stance of the Greek Cypriot side the negotiation process continues due to the constructive and solution-orientated approach of the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey.

Çavuşoğlu also emphasized that the Greek side’s attitudes on preconditions are against the 2014 agreement and also the Geneva declaration. It is not a solution-oriented attitude.

“Making contradictory proposals is just trying to extend the process without killing it and playing to domestic politics. It is a useless endeavour that wastes our energy,” Çavuşoğlu said, adding that a result-oriented process must be followed for a permanent and fair peace.

Also touching upon the issue of hydrocarbon exploration, the Turkish Foreign Minister warned that the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral hydrocarbon explorations in the island would lead to tensions in the region and negatively affect the negotiation process.

“We expect the Greek Cypriot Administration or international communities to stop ignoring the rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots over the natural resources of the island,” Çavuşoğlu said. He warmed that these explorations were also harming the potential economic cooperation on the island.