President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades reiterated on Wednesday that with hard work, it is possible to reach a Cyprus solution within 2016 and hold a referendum, where Cypriots will decide whether to adopt or reject the proposed settlement plan.
Speaking in Nicosia during the book presentation of CNA correspondent in Turkey Anna Andreou, entitled “Appointment with the Generals” the President also noted that “apart from dialogue, there is no other path for a homeland, free of occupation troops and dividing barbed wires”.
Referring to the ongoing UN led settlement talks, the President acknowledged once more that there are difficulties but said that “at the same time we have achieved progress and common understanding in important areas”.
In the next few months, he went on, this effort will intensify, since “we are reaching a truly crucial point, where Turkey will have to prove its real intentions through its stance at the negotiations` table”.
He said moreover that we are approaching the end of an era for the Cyprus problem, by starting to approach history with less sentimentalism and more rationally. We will, however, be able to inaugurate a new era when Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots finally manage to shake hands, the President concluded.
The Republic of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. Peace talks are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that will reunite the country, under a federal roof.
