Akıncı: ‘‘We want a new partnership in political equality”

President Mustafa Akıncı has said, “We want new partnership with Greek Cypriots which is based on political equality.”

Responding to questions from an AA reporter after returning from Islamabad, where he attended the 13^th Summit of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Akıncı said that while the comprehensive settlement negotiations continue with the support of the UN, the decision of the Greek Cypriot Parliament to commemorate Enosis in schools was against the ongoing solution efforts on the island. Emphasizing that this decision should be retracted, Akıncı said that negotiations would otherwise be meaningless. Akıncı pointed out that that the most important thing is sustaining the settlement, and said that that this can be possible by developing a culture of peace on the island.

As a response to the Greek Cypriot side’s allegations, including the claim that numerous privileges are accorded to the Turkish Cypriots despite their being ‘a minority’, Akıncı said “the Greek Cypriots have used this one-sided privilege for 54 years without any right to do so. Although the Turkish Cypriot people have the right to govern, they are in isolation today. Greek Cypriots use international privilege. We want a new partnership in political equality. There is no room for a minority-majority concept in political equality.”

In a speech at an event, President Akıncı discussed the negotiation process, saying that he and the negotiators were working to create a secure, equal and a peaceful environment for Turkish Cypriots.

“We have not given up on the idea to reach an agreement in order to live in equality, but we will not do it at any cost. We will continue on this path by protecting our rights, equality, security and freedom” said Akıncı.