AKEL ON ERTOUK STATEMENTS

 

 

Statement by Toumazos Tsielepis, Head of the Office on the Cyprus problem of the C.C. of AKEL, on the statements made by the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ertouk

 

The statement made by the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Mr. Ertouk that eight months have already passed and that we must finally resume the negotiating process finds us in agreement, with the clarification that not only eight but eighteen months have passed since the Turkish Cypriot side abandoned the negotiating process. We all know why we had been led to this undesirable development. Despite the commitment made before the United Nations Secretary-General to continue the procedure on the agreed basis and from where we left off with Talat, Mr. Eroglu did not respect the basis of talks, undermining and torpedoing the significant convergences that had in the meantime been achieved and eventually he left the negotiating table.

 

Now Mr. Ertouk states that it is incomprehensible that we disregard these convergences and that it is a waste of time to review them. It is obvious that the Turkish Cypriot side is playing the familiar blame game from a safe distance. This is proven to be the case also by Mr Ertouk´s position that the Turkish Cypriot side is sensitive to the issue of the basis of the two founding states and the issue of citizenship. These statements are in complete opposition to the basis of the talks as this has been set out in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Christofias – Talat joint statements.

 

At the same time Mr. Ertouk is in fact talking about a two states solution and is questioning the single citizenship, stating that the joint statement (Note: for the resumption of the negotiation procedure) cannot be prepared taking into account the balances in the Greek Cypriot public opinion. Indeed, the joint communiqué cannot be prepared by considering the internal balances in one or the other community. It is precisely for this reason that it must be prepared on the basis set out by the UN Security Council resolutions and on the joint communiqués that categorically refer to a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship. If these are respected, then we believe that the main obstacle with regards the issuing of a joint communiqué can be overcome and the negotiating process can be resumed.