Anastasiades must explain what Cyprus gains from the fierce and open confrontation with the UN
AKEL replies to Deputy Government Spokesman
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 25th July 2017, Nicosia
The Deputy Government Spokesman responded to the morning statements made by the General Secretary of AKEL. The only thing he managed to answer was that A. Kyprianou is supposedly trying to “create shadows and doubts about the President’s intentions”. He was unable to articulate not a single word on the substance. This is logical and to be expected. We clarify once again that Turkey bears the primary responsibility for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem – but what did we do to make it difficult for Turkey?
The General Secretary of AKEL is fully informed of what happened in Crans Montana and this is the reason why he is expressing his concern every day about the developments. If that is what the President of the Republic is concerned about and forces him to react in such a way, then that does means something. In any case, Mr. Anastasiades should already be worried because the United Nations does not share his wrath with UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus Mr. Eide, nor are they strongly denouncing Turkey. On the contrary, the United Nations consider Mr. Eide their valuable collaborator and are apportioning equal responsibility on both leaders, while there isn’t a place for Turkey in the frame of responsibility.
As AKEL from the very day after the collapse of the talks, we have expressed our concerns about the centrifugal tendencies that are seeking to drag the solution of the Cyprus problem outside the agreed framework. We are referring in particular to Turkish Foreign Minister Cavousoglou’s statements for a solution to the Cyprus problem outside the framework of the UN. If Mr. Anastasiades isn’t concerned about the fact that there is an intense debate developing in favor of abandoning the solution of Federation, we as AKEL are indeed worried that we are moving away from the solution.
Mr. Anastasiades has a responsibility to behave as President of the Republic and must assume it before it is too late. He needs to see how we can address the situation and the upcoming developments and not behave as a party commissar who is putting even our just cause at risk with the United Nations in order to win elections.
Finally, Mr. Anastasiades must someday explain to us what Cyprus gains from the fierce and open confrontation with the United Nations.
