Remarks by the
President of the Republic on the Cyprus problem
The President of the
Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, expressed today the hope that the
other side, if it means what it says, must comprehend that the
methodology cannot be the pretext that will lead us toward a deadlock
so that Plan B of the Turkish side on the Cyprus problem can be
justified.
In his remarks to
reporters, in Nicosia, and in response to an observation by a
reporter that from the statements of the Turkish President it shows
that Ankara holds onto its intransigent positions on the Cyprus
problem, the President of the Republic said: “I want to be direct.
What was expected was at least the demonstration of the rumored
determination by the Turkish Government to help in the solution of
the Cyprus problem.
With all the condemnable
things that were said, I am sorry to say that, even though it was not
expected with certainty, they disappoint even those who probably
invested in Mr Erdogan.
I want to hope that the
mobilization of the forces that can intervene, the mobilization of
the EU and not only that, but also of other friends and strategic
partners, will help so that there will be progress in the stagnation
that exists until today, but in particular in the intransigence of
the occupying power.”
Ask to state his
assessment as to why Mr Erdogan denied that he received his letter,
the President of the Republic said that “because if he acknowledged
that he had received it, he was thinking that indirectly he probably
was recognizing the President of the Republic of Cyprus. What I know
is that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, who undertook to
carry the letter, delivered it where it was appropriate to deliver it
and therefore I don’t think it is a major issue for me to comment
on. I wish his other positions were correct and this would be the
last thing that would concern me.”
In response to a question
about the coming period in the negotiations on the Cyprus problem,
the President of the Republic said that “there has been the
appointment of a new Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General. I
will meet with him on Friday afternoon. It will be the first meeting.
I want to hope that the
appointment and the more active involvement of the United Nations,
with the added strong interest from friendly countries, but also the
effort to get the EU more actively involved, will create the
preconditions for getting out of the deadlocks. I will have the
opportunity to meet with the UN Secretary General in the coming weeks
during my presence at the UN General Assembly and I hope that the
other side will also comprehend, if it means what it says, that the
methodology cannot be – through the proposals that are submitted –
the pretext to lead us toward a deadlock so that Plan B of the
Turkish side on the Cyprus problem can be justified.”
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