Özersay: ‘We have lost ‘today’ while fighting for ‘tomorrow’ with the Greek Cypriots’

On a TV broadcast he participated in yesterday (23^rd December), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay evaluated his interview which was published in Greek Cypriot Daily Newspaper Kathimerini.

Minister Kudret Özersay said ‘we are not saying that federation is something bad. We want a solution, however conditions for a federation do not exist in Cyprus. Both sides do not trust each other. There is no experience of federation. The Greek Cypriot side does not want to share the power and richness.  Since the necessary conditions for a federation do not exist, the federation model does not seem realistic. We need to consider a different model for partnership. We need to start from somewhere because there is a need of solution in Cyprus. We have lost ‘today’ while fighting for ‘tomorrow’ with the Greek Cypriots. We can cooperate on illegal migration, international terror. We can develop our cooperation in exchanging the criminals and we can start to cooperate on the natural gas issue’.

In addition Minister Özersay noted ‘since all concerned parties could come together for a Cyprus Conference i.e. Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Greece, the UK and Turkey, I believe these parties can also come together for the natural gas and sharing the regional resources. We should organise a Cyprus Conference and talk about the maritime jurisdiction issue as the Turkish Cypriot side, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey, Egypt and Israel. That is the ideal’.