The opening of checkpoints should be proceeded
Statements by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A.Kyprianou
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10th June 2020, Nicosia
As for the checkpoints issue, I’d just like to say that Mr. Tatar and Mr. Ozersay are trying to cause problems and not by chance. They disagree with the agreed framework of the solution. They would like to lead the efforts for a solution to damaging developments. This, in my opinion, is all to be expected. What the President and the government must understand is that those of us who are genuinely striving to find a solution, which will be based on the correct principles, of course, must take such initiatives so that either they are forced to proceed to the opening of checkpoints with the benefits that will emerge and with the problems that are also likely to arise, always taking all the necessary health checks of course or either they will be forced to open the checkpoints or Mr. Tatar and Mr. Ozersay will face a political cost.
I regret to say that our government so far is content with making just verbal statements. Serious initiatives need to be taken in this direction. The ground and public opinion need to be prepared so that in October, when we will have the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, negotiations should resume as soon as possible.
Every day that passes by – and 3 years have elapsed since Crans Montana – is to our detriment. Furthermore, there is now the danger that after three barren years and a substantive passive stance on the part of our government, we will have in the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community someone who would want to push things towards a two-state solution. You realize how much more difficult our position will be. We therefore need to make the most of every hour that passes by creating such preconditions that will permit us to agree to the sought solution.
