Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu: “The 5+UN meeting is not and will not be a continuation of the 53-year inter-communal negotiations process”

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu replied the questions of Anadolu Agency reporter ahead of the informal 5+UN meeting to be held in Geneva on the 27-29 April under the auspices of the UN with the participation of Cypriot parties and guarantor powers Turkey, Greece and the UK.

Ertuğruloğlu said “The 5+UN meeting is not and will not be a continuation of the inter-communal negotiations process that has been going on for 53 years. The 5+UN is not a meeting to continue from where it left off in Crans Montana or a meeting where confidence-building measures will be put on the agenda”.

Stating that 5+UN meeting has been proposed to ensure what to negotiate, whether there is a common ground or not, Minister Ertuğruloğlu noted that the Greek Cypriot side seemed to want to negotiate for another 53 or 103 years, and pursues a policy which wants the Turkish Cypriot side to be dominated by the so-called Republic of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot side.

Adding that the Greek Cypriot side will disregard what was experienced in the past 53 years and force the Turkish Cypriot side to step back from its stance, Ertuğruloğlu said that at this stage, the international community, which gives opportunity to the Greek Cypriot side to keep their policy of lies on the agenda, should also be blamed.

Stressing that following the 5+UN meeting, they will evaluate the options together with motherland Turkey, Minister Ertuğruloğlu said that their only option is not to be a partner with the Greek Cypriots.

Ertuğruloğlu said “The EU will not be included as part of the 5+UN conference. They should know that they have lost the confidence of the Turkish Cypriot side. It is obvious that they are not an unbiased Union regarding the Cyprus issue. They accepted the Greek Cypriot side as an EU member by violating the Copenhagen Criteria and thus they became a biased union regarding the Cyprus issue.”

Furthermore, stressing that Turkey defends the same policy with the Turkish Cypriot side and this strengthens our hand, Ertuğruloğlu said “Our greatest source of power is our unity with our motherland Turkey.”