EX-NEGOTIATOR: WE ARE AT A TURNING POINT

FORMER Cyprus talks negotiator Ergün Olgun told CyprusToday: “We are at a turning point. The reason why we have reached the point at present is because the Greek and Greek Cypriot duo have followed a hegemonic vision for Cyprus with a vision for Enosis (Union of Cyprus with Greece).

“And in 1960, the treaties which established a partnership state that preserved the balance in Cyprus and which was seen as the only way of securing peace and stability were destroyed by the Greek Cypriots in 1963.

“Since then negotiations have continued to reach a solution but to no avail, even when Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the Annan Plan in 2004. Further talks again failed in 2017 in Crans Montana and none of the promises given to the Turkish Cypriots to end their isolation has been met. The Turkish Cypriots have in this election said ‘enough is enough’ to endless negotiations because they see no intention or willingness from the Greek Cypriot side to share the island.

“It is time to re-establish the balance through sovereign equality between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, Turkey and Greece. Today, the Turkish Cypriots have said that they are ready to share the island based on a cooperative relationship, after seeing the Greek Cypriot side using their recognition and fait accompli on the issue of hydrocarbons . . . to trap the Turkish Cypriots into further isolation, making it impossible based on current convergences to re-establish this equality.

“We have not lost the vision for cooperation and it is time for the EU and wider international community to understand that nothing can be done in the Eastern Mediterranean if any one side is given privileges and advantages to the detriment of the others.”