Turkey is mainly responsible for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem, but the Greek Cypriot side is also responsible for the handlings made

 

Statements by the General Secretary of AKEL S.Stefanou:

 

Cyprus News Agency (CΝΑ), 21 July 2023

Asked by CNA why the Cyprus problem hasn’t been solved yet, the General Secretary of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou said that the Cyprus problem has not been solved primarily due to the stand adopted by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership under Denktash, Eroglou and Tatar.

“It would be unfair to put – as some of us are wont to do – Talat and Akinci in the same basket. It is Turkey that has invaded Cyprus, maintained occupying troops on our island for almost half a century and returned to the out-of-place and time position for a two state solution. That is precisely why Turkey bears the main responsibility for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem and this will not change so long as the occupation continues,” the General Secretary of AKEL pointed out said.

S.Stefanou said that the fact that the occupying power bears the primary responsibility does not mean that nothing depends on us. If that were the case, he continued, then we would arrive at the absurd conclusion that the policy we pursue, the tactics we use and the positions we express are of no importance at all.

The General Secretary of AKEL said that we must always assume the share of responsibility we bear, which is much smaller than that of Turkey. “I am not claiming that this will definitely lead to a solution of the Cyprus problem, but we certainly cannot hope if we do not act and move correctly,” he said, pointing out that the latest and glaring example [of that] is what happened at Crans Montana.

“Anastasiades’ tragic handlings at Crans Montana led not only to Turkey  being relieved of any responsibilities, but also to the Greek Cypriot side being held equally responsible for the failure of the Crans Montana Conference as recorded in the subsequent report that was submitted by the UN Secretary General to the Security Council. As a result, we have had the longest stalemate on the Cyprus problem in years, combined with the imposition of new serious fait accompli,” the General Secretary of AKEL said.

Asked by the CNA whether there is any hope for a viable solution, Stefanos Stefanou expressed his belief that for there to be hope for a viable solution, we need to draw lessons from the erroneous handlings that were made in the past and realize the dire situation in which the Cyprus problem has found itself.

“The President of the Republic must not only say [that he is seeking a solution], but mean it that the negotiating procedure must continue from where it had remained at Crans Montana. And I say mean it, not by chance. For example, during the press conference presentation of the first 100 days of his government, the President of the Republic said that we should continue from where we had remained at Crans Montana, but immediately afterwards he rejected important provisions of the Guterres Framework, which as we know is considered a single entity,” Stefanos Stefanou said.

Moreover, the General Secretary of AKEL continued, by ignoring repeated calls that have been issued by the UN Secretary General, President Christodoulides in essence has rejected making use of hydrocarbons as an incentive for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

“These two elements are the essence of the well-known proposal submitted by AKEL that was subsequently rejected by former President Anastasiades and is even more relevant today with the war in Ukraine which, among many other things, has led to an energy crisis breaking out,” he added.

The General Secretary of AKEL concluded by saying that it is no coincidence that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has not yet been convinced that the two sides are indeed ready for the resumption of a meaningful negotiation procedure.