‘Five party meeting’ statement criticised
TURKEY has criticised United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after he said that he intends to convene a “five-party” meeting on Cyprus following the TRNC’s October presidential elections.
The idea for a new meeting involving the two sides of Cyprus and the “guarantor” countries of Turkey, Greece and the UK, is something that incumbent Mustafa Akıncı pushed for towards the end of last year.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy, responding to a question at a routine press briefing in Ankara on Thursday, said that the latest push for the “5+UN” meeting “does not mean the launch of a new negotiation process automatically on the island or the continuation of the Conference on Cyprus from where we left off in Crans Montana [in Switzerland] in July 2017”.
Mr Aksoy also said that there was “no common ground and vision” for a settlement between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
“All past negotiation processes have failed due to the fact that the Greek Cypriot side has not accepted the political equality, which is a requirement for a partnership on the island and that it could not be defined in a concrete way,” he said.
“The underlying reason is the Greek Cypriots’ unwillingness to share both power and natural wealth with the Turkish
Cypriot side. “If a partnership is still desired on the island despite this fact, political equality, as a principle requirement, should be recognised in advance by the Greek Cypriot side with its entire elements, and a new negotiation process should be built on it.
“If this cannot be done, then the two sides should start a new negotiation process on a two-state solution on the basis of sovereign equality. The idea of holding an informal 5+UN meeting, which was proposed by Turkey last year, aims at clarifying these issues.
“Otherwise, as we have repeatedly explained, Turkey will not enter into a new negotiation process with dubious grounds and methods that failed in the past.”
Erhan Arıklı, a candidate in the race to become president, called on Mr Guterres to “end his quest for a federation”.
PRIME Minister, leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) and presidential candidate, Ersin Tatar shared his election hopes with a broadcast on Tuesday.
Among those in the audience at the launch event in Lefkoşa were UBP loyalists and supporters including third President of the TRNC, Derviş Eroğlu, MPs and local mayors.
“Now is the time to rise and march towards the future,” declared Mr Tatar, who stressed that he would be dedicated to dealing with the Cyprus problem, the Covid-19 pandemic and opening the currently closed Gazimağusa district of Maraş if elected next President of the TRNC.
“Turkish Cypriots have been living on this island for more than 450 years, yet we have spent the last century fighting for our existence here,” he said. “As a people, we will say enough is enough.”
Mr Tatar highlighted that Turkish Cypriots had evolved from a small community that was under attack and suffered massacres into a nation with a government. “Here I stand before you as a Presidential candidate of UBP, the party which founded our government. Its roots are intertwined with Dr Fazıl Küçük, our first leader and pioneer of our rights, Rauf Denktaş, who never gave up in his struggle for the rights of Turkish Cypriots, and TMT, the organisation that defended us.
“I am, therefore, extremely proud to be part of the UBP and am fully aware of my historic responsibility and what will be expected of me as president. I will work continuously to find a real solution to the Cyprus problem and try to maintain our relationship with mainland Turkey, which is based on affection and respect. In our country, however, we would maintain a self-sufficient structure for the future.
“I would never be a president in conflict with the government. I would not separate but unite, so that Turkish Cypriots can live on this island in peace and prosperity, something which we also wish for our Greek neighbours.
“Turkish Cypriots will never give up on Turkey’s effective guarantee or their rights to sovereignty as a nation.
“I would like to emphasis that I will be open to negotiations with the Greek Cypriots and that other, alternative solution proposals would be brought to the table as soon as I become president.”