14/02/2017 09:26
President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has stressed that he will not allow anyone to question the sincere intentions of the Greek Cypriot side for a solution of the Cyprus issue.
“I will not allow anyone to question the sincere intentions of the Greek Cypriot side regarding the effort to find a solution acceptable by both communities, as it is clearly set out at the negotiating table”, President Anastasiades says in a written statement, in response to remarks by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
He adds that Monday`s unanimous decision of the National Council, top advisory body to the President on the handling of the Cyprus question, “not only dismisses the claims of the Turkish Cypriot side, but also reiterates our determination to continue the dialogue on the basis of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Security Council decisions, as well as the occasional unanimous decisions of the National Council”.
The President says that the way the Turkish Cypriot community reacted to a regulation passed by the House of Representatives for a reference in schools to the historical fact of the 1950 referendum on “Enosis”, the union with Greece, “cannot be considered as a change in policy and I will not allow anyone to question the sincere intentions of the Greek Cypriot side regarding the effort to find a solution acceptable by both communities, as it is clearly set out at the negotiating table
According to the President, if the Turkish Cypriot community is showing such sensitivity to a simple reference of an historical fact, “how provocative for the Greek Cypriot community can the celebrations for the anniversary of the Turkish invasion be, which led to the occupation and imposed the intolerable current state of affairs”.
“In the same context, what genuine intention for the solution of the Cyprus problem are the ceremonies and celebrations for the illegal declaration of the pseudostate, which is in fact merely an attempt for secession or division of Cyprus?” the President wonders.
President Anastasiades notes that he has actively and repeatedly proven at the negotiating table the genuine and sincere will of the Greek Cypriot community to find a solution in the framework of what has been at times agreed on at a high level, and a solution which will not create winners and will not leave losers, with the ultimate aim for it to meet the concerns and expectations of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots.
“I strongly believe that if we all wish to reach the same aim, we must work with determination, abandoning any pretenses and especially any unacceptable demands and preconditions which do not serve the interests of the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots”, he points out.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President Anastasiades and Akinci are currently engaged in UN-led talks with an aim to reunify the island under a federal roof. In 1983, the occupation regime unilaterally declared independence. The pseudostate is recognised solely by Turkey.
“I will not allow anyone to question the sincere intentions of the Greek Cypriot side regarding the effort to find a solution acceptable by both communities, as it is clearly set out at the negotiating table”, President Anastasiades says in a written statement, in response to remarks by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
He adds that Monday`s unanimous decision of the National Council, top advisory body to the President on the handling of the Cyprus question, “not only dismisses the claims of the Turkish Cypriot side, but also reiterates our determination to continue the dialogue on the basis of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Security Council decisions, as well as the occasional unanimous decisions of the National Council”.
The President says that the way the Turkish Cypriot community reacted to a regulation passed by the House of Representatives for a reference in schools to the historical fact of the 1950 referendum on “Enosis”, the union with Greece, “cannot be considered as a change in policy and I will not allow anyone to question the sincere intentions of the Greek Cypriot side regarding the effort to find a solution acceptable by both communities, as it is clearly set out at the negotiating table
According to the President, if the Turkish Cypriot community is showing such sensitivity to a simple reference of an historical fact, “how provocative for the Greek Cypriot community can the celebrations for the anniversary of the Turkish invasion be, which led to the occupation and imposed the intolerable current state of affairs”.
“In the same context, what genuine intention for the solution of the Cyprus problem are the ceremonies and celebrations for the illegal declaration of the pseudostate, which is in fact merely an attempt for secession or division of Cyprus?” the President wonders.
President Anastasiades notes that he has actively and repeatedly proven at the negotiating table the genuine and sincere will of the Greek Cypriot community to find a solution in the framework of what has been at times agreed on at a high level, and a solution which will not create winners and will not leave losers, with the ultimate aim for it to meet the concerns and expectations of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots.
“I strongly believe that if we all wish to reach the same aim, we must work with determination, abandoning any pretenses and especially any unacceptable demands and preconditions which do not serve the interests of the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots”, he points out.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President Anastasiades and Akinci are currently engaged in UN-led talks with an aim to reunify the island under a federal roof. In 1983, the occupation regime unilaterally declared independence. The pseudostate is recognised solely by Turkey.
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