Akinci welcomes guarantors meeting

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Tuesday welcomed the meeting arranged between the foreign ministers of Cyprus’ three guarantor powers, but stressed that ultimately it must be the Cypriot people themselves who will implement and live with a solution.

Speaking before departing for New York, Akinci said his contacts in the Big Apple would commence on Wednesday, culminating over the weekend when he is due to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The Turkish Cypriot leader spoke of a “different climate” being shaped this time, noting that in light of UN envoy Jane Holl Lute’s recent report, the UN chief will want to hear ideas from all interested parties on how the process can now be moved forward.

“The cycle of the old negotiations on Cyprus is now closed. Processes without a timetable, which are not results-oriented, can only get stuck in time,” he told reporters.

Akinci said the latest talks under UN auspices, taking place in the summer of 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, failed because of the Greek Cypriots’ unwillingness “to accept the true meaning of power-sharing and shared prosperity with Turkish Cypriots within a federal partnership.”

But it was important to look ahead, since a mutually acceptable settlement on Cyprus would benefit not only the Cypriots but also Greece and Turkey.

“It has to be understood that progress in relation to the Cyprus problem on the one hand, and on the other hand cooperation on natural gas resources, where we too have rights, together with steps supporting the Turkey-EU customs union, will be to the benefit of all interested parties.

“In short, this should be the common vision,” he added.

Commenting on the informal trilateral meeting of Britain, Greece and Turkey in New York, scheduled for Tuesday evening, Akinci said it was “perfectly natural” for officials of the three guarantor powers to discuss the Cyprus issue.

“However, there is something that one should not forget. Any solution in Cyprus will need to be implemented and experienced by the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots. Let no one lose sight of this. Because, at the end of the day, it is the will of the two communities that will keep a solution alive.”
British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will attend a working lunch at the British Permanent Representation at the UN, at 1pm New York time.

Although describing the trilateral meeting as a positive development, Akinci stressed that “the work does not begin and end with it, and this needs to be well understood.”

On the planned opening of crossing points at Dherynia and Apliki, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that on his side all the logistics were in place.

The delay on the Apliki crossing was due to ongoing works along a 3km stretch of road on the Greek Cypriot side and due to land appropriations in the area.

“On our side, we are ready. It has been some time that we have finished with the roads in Dherynia and in Apliki. What remains to be done there is to install cubicles and to arrange for electrical, telephone and internet connections.”

He forecast that the crossings would be opening “very soon.”

But Akinci bemoaned the fact that the opening of the two crossings was not coupled with other confidence-building measures, such as the proposed link between the mobile phone networks and electrical grids of the two communities.

Another proposal that had been floated, he said, was a programme where teachers would visit schools on either side.

“They [Greek Cypriots] insist on not visiting our schools. Their pretext is that this would be tantamount to ‘recognising’ us.”

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