Where is this supposed “shield” when Turkey is proceeding undisturbed to illegal drillings in a licensed plot of the EEZ?

 

Statement by Aristos Damianou, AKEL Political Bureau member

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 25 January 2020, Nicosia

Instead of President Anastasiades providing answers about the illusions that he himself and his government cultivated, claiming for two years now that they have shielded the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus and that our energy plans would proceed unhindered, he resorted to his familiar method of making offensive insinuations about the opposition and the well-substantiated criticism we exercise.

There is not a single official position expressed by AKEL that does not denounce Turkey’s illegal actions in the strongest possible terms. However, the question remains.

Where in truth is this supposed “shield” when Turkey is proceeding undisturbed to illegal drillings in a licensed plot of the Republic of Cyprus?

With such supposed “successes” being recorded by the government’s foreign policy, why does the United Nations in successive Reports it submits on the Cyprus problem apportion us with responsibilities, while Turkey remains either exonerated or is even commended?

Unfortunately, even today as their policies are collapsing and the illusions they were cultivating among citizens are being exposed, instead of the government ruling circles dealing with the substance by giving convincing answers, they are again wasting time engaging in the communication management of issues. They should at long last realise that communication management has its limits. They need to deal with the substance of their policy; a policy which only leads to dead ends.