AKEL General Secretary Andros Kyprianou replies to the President’s statements

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 5 December 2018, Nicosia

Mr. Anastasiades should have adhered to what he had said. That is to say, he shouldn’t have to comment on statements, without having previously hearing them.

The first thing I would like to say is that for what I publicly briefed the Cypriot community in the US on, I also briefed Mr. Anastasiades. In fact some of the things I said were also said in pubic in Cyprus as well, without this fit of rage on the part of Mr. Anastasiades.

The second thing I want to say is that I was asked by some people in the community to brief them on what was said between me and Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Cavusoglou. I have clarified from the very beginning that what I will say doesn’t mean I adopt it. As to what I did say, I didn’t say that Mr. Cavusoglou or Turkey will accept the total abolition (of guarantees). What I did say was that Turkey would accept to discuss a total abolition (of guarantees) under certain preconditions, without implying that we will necessarily conclude with the total abolition of guarantees.

I briefed Mr. Anastasiades on this specific issue. I briefed him comprehensively precisely on what these preconditions set by Mr. Cavusoglou were, and indeed he shook his head and hand to show that these were empty words. Consequently, the President should stop saying that I didn’t brief him.

The President would do well if he recalls in his memory and remembered what I had told him.

I would like to add that even though I was asked questions in the meeting with the Cypriot community and I was challenged to refer to the President’s stand, I was very careful in my references to Mr. Anastasiades. I avoided saying those things I criticize him for in Cyprus. He should have appreciated that.