The President must take a clear position on the resumption of negotiations and the sought goal of bicommunal, bizonal federation

Statement by Stefanos Stefanou, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 26 June 2018, Nicosia

Before the elections in Turkey, everyone was saying that after the elections we would see the beginning of the efforts for a resumption of the negotiations. The elections in Turkey are over, and it is clear that the UN Secretariat wishes the preconditions and conditions to evolve for the negotiations to resume.

What the Greek Cypriot side’s stand will be and what it should say, and the Republic of Cyprus in general, in relation to the resumption of the negotiations is very important, at this particular stage. It is important for the President to be very clear about what the Greek Cypriot side wants in relation to the Cyprus problem. The Greek Cypriot side’s position cannot be anything other than the position the UN Secretary-General has expressed for some time now as to him undertaking a new initiative on the Cyprus problem. The Secretary-General’s position, which he reiterated in his latest Report, is quite clear: resumption of negotiations from the point where they had remained at Crans Montana, preserving and making use of the body of work accumulated over the years in the negotiations and continuation of the negotiations with the same procedure that was followed at Crans Montana. That is, parallel and cross-negotiation on two tables, one on the internal aspect and the other table on the international aspect of the Cypriot problem, namely on the six issues that the UN Secretary-General has defined.

There is no room whatsoever for any ambiguities and evasive double talk during this specific period. The approach that says we should say things for internal consumption purposes on the domestic front is not helpful. We must respond to the challenges of the period and take a clear stand without mincing our words.

There is a big debate about what Turkey will do. What Turkey will do will be become apparent in practice. It will be clear from the answers it will give. However, we cannot depend our own position on Turkey’s positions. We must be very clear in our positions. If Turkey responds and negotiations resume eventually, as the UN Secretary-General wishes, then all well and good. If not, then at least Turkey should be assigned the responsibility for the non-resumption of the negotiations and not the Greek Cypriot side.

We therefore call on the President of the Republic to be very clear on the resumption of the negotiations, but also in relation to the sought goal for achieving a solution based on Bi-zonal Bi-communal Federation with political equality as set out by the United Nations, for the termination of the occupation, liberation and reunification of our country and people.