Cavusoglu’s statements are undermining the effort to resume negotiations

Statement by the AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou on Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu’s statements

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10 September 2019, Nicosia

AKEL denounces the unacceptable and provocative statements made by the Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu during his illegal visit to the occupied territories. These statements undermine the effort underway currently for a resumption of substantive negotiations on the basis of the agreed framework.

• The Turkish Minister highlighted the issue of political equality and effective participation of the Turkish Cypriots. This issue is essentially solved. In the Report he submitted in September 2017, the UN Secretary-General said that “By the end of the (Crans Montana) Conference, the sides had reached practically full agreement on the federal executive and effective participation”.

If all the sides mean that they respect the convergences, then the withdrawals by both sides must be terminated and the relative convergence confirmed.

Mr. Akinci must accept that the one positive vote will only be demanded in some low-level bodies and not in all. As far as Mr. Anastasiades himself is concerned, he must return to the convergence that the one positive Turkish Cypriot vote is demanded in decision-making in the Council of Ministers.

• In relation to the Natural Gas, Turkey’s Foreign Minister knows very well that the convergences achieved with regards the Exclusive Economic Zone, the maritime zones and distribution of the revenues from the natural gas, allay the concerns of all sides.
• As far as security and guarantee issues are concerned, Turkey’s Foreign Minister knows well aware where we had remained at Crans Montana. He knows that we had remained on the common position of the UN Secretary-General, the European Union, Greece and the United Kingdom for the abolition of the guarantees and intervention rights, the rapid withdrawal of the occupation troops with the only pending issue that of the ELDYK and TOURDYK contingents. If the Turkish Foreign Minister has opposing or different positions, he will be in confrontation with the UN, the EU and other guarantor powers.

At the same time, we welcome the fact that forces within the Turkish Cypriot community are resisting the policy and rhetoric of Mr. Cavousoglou and his government, and are denouncing his colonialist views. They are not ‘traitors’, as Mr. Cavusoglu characterizes them. They are the real patriotic Cypriots who are struggling for the Turkish Cypriot community’s identity. For an independent, free and reunited Cyprus for all Cypriots. For a bi-zonal, bicommunal federal solution with political equality as outlined in the UN Security Council Resolutions.