Statements by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL Andros Kyprianou
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 16th March 2017, Nicosia
On the meeting with the Chief of the National Guard
The meeting with the Chief of the National Guard took place on the occasion of his departure from Cyprus and the National Guard. I thanked him for the role he fulfilled as Head of the National Guard over the last three years in Cyprus. I also thanked him for the cooperation we had over the years and the fact that he has performed his duties in a very effective and worthy way.
I should say that we attach great importance to the area of defence, but as a deterrent. We have made it very clear that our effort is through peaceful processes, that is through dialogue, to seek to solve the Cyprus problem.
On yesterday’s statements by the President of the Republic
Question: Regarding the President of the Republic’s statements yesterday, Mr. Anastasiades is again saying that he doesn’t want you equating him with the Turkish Cypriot leader.
AK: Either Mr. Anastasiades isn’t listening to what we say, or he isn’t taking into account what we say. From the beginning of this crisis we had made it clear that our goal was not to apportion responsibilities on one or the other. From the outset of this crisis we said that irrespective of any responsibilities, and indeed we did criticize Mr. Akinci as he withdrew from the negotiations, a way had to be found to resume negotiations. It is being said that we want a solution, that the Cyprus problem will only be resolved through talks and at the same time initiatives aren’t being taken to resume dialogue.
I want to remind Mr. Anastasiades that when he was in opposition he was saying to Demetris Christofias that the then President didn’t supposedly have the courage to take initiatives in order to create the preconditions for reaching a solution. What we are therefore calling on Mr. Anastasiades to do is to take initiatives to put into practice all those things he was accusing Demetris Christofias of. And if needed I can cite and quote a host of statements about what he said back then. Consequently, instead of criticizing AKEL Mr. Anastasiades should have thanked it because AKEL is trying to find a way to resume the negotiations. From the moment he says that he really cares about the solution, he should have been interested in the resumption of the negotiations. AKEL will continue its efforts for the resumption of the dialogue, whether Mr. Anastasiades likes it or not.
Question: Do you think that he isn’t interested or is his attention turned elsewhere? Are the initiatives he has taken so far satisfactory?
AK: I consider that above all he didn’t behave in a way that would defuse the crisis. Instead he exacerbated the whole situation with his statements, contradictions and regressions. It is the only thing we have accused him of. I want to make this very clear: instead of operating in a way that would defuse the crisis, he acted in a different way. That is in a very different manner from what he himself was advising Demetris Christofias to do back then when he was in opposition. And let me reiterate I have a multitude of statements he made, if he wants me to cite them on what he was saying then.
Besides that, I’m not going to attribute indifference to Mr. Anastasiades with regards the solution of the Cyprus problem. The appeal AKEL addresses to Mr. Anastasiades is that he should take initiatives for the resumption of the dialogue. I repeat what we said on Tuesday. If the negotiations begin again, if we conclude that a substantive dialogue is underway and that a sincere effort is being made to achieve a solution on the Cyprus problem, AKEL – regardless of the fact that we are approaching the presidential elections – will back this effort.
