Instead of trying unsuccessfully to hide its mutations on the Cyprus problem the government should focus on reaching a solution
Statement by Stefanos Stefanou, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th May 2017, Nicosia
Turkey isn’t issuing threats and taking provocative actions only now. This is a timeless phenomenon that is unacceptable and as AKEL we have denounced it countless times.
The question is: are we content to merely make accusations against Turkey or do we test Turkey at the negotiating table?
What we must do is to exhaust every possibility to achieve progress at the negotiating table, while remaining of course consistent to the agreed framework of the solution and to the positions of principles, so that we can arrive at a substantive discussion of the international aspects of the Cyprus problem – on which Turkey has to be held to account.
We point out that Turkey on the specific issues does not find international understanding.
Criticism against the President
The government and ruling forces, in order to cover up the President’s pre-election mutations on the Cyprus problem, have resorted to the frequently used sophistry that the criticism exerted of the President is supposedly undermining his negotiating position and burdens our side with responsibilities.
If responsibilities are attributed, this will be done by the international community if the negotiations end up in a stalemate. Responsibilities will not be attributed to it depending on what is being said on the domestic front, but according to what each side does at the negotiating table itself.
The President’s responsibility is to utilize the negotiations so that we can record progress. If the other side responds and progress is registered then that’s all well. If not, the other side’s intransigence must be demonstrated and recorded. This is important for developments the day after.
We note that for two years, from 2010 to 2012, due to Mr. Eroglu, there was no progress registered on the Cyprus problem. But no one was blaming our side, nor did we suffer consequences, as was the case many times in the past.
Furthermore, despite the Turkish threats, the Republic of Cyprus back then proceeded to drill and locate the only reserve field so far.
However, instead of the government and ruling forces trying unsuccessfully to hide their mutations on the Cyprus problem they should focus on reaching a solution. Especially, now that some progress appears to have been recorded which we should try to maximize.
