According to a press release issued by his “office” yesterday, Eroglu evaluated the suspension of the Cyprus talks, the natural gas crisis, as well as the domestic issues in an interview to a television program.
During the program, Eroglu repeated his known views that the Greek Cypriot side abandoned the Cyprus talks with the “excuse” of the arrival of the Turkish vessels when the bargaining stage at the negotiations would have started. He also repeated that all the “citizens” of the “TRNC” will be citizens of the new partnership state in case of the Cyprus settlement.
Referring to the issue of territory, Eroglu said: “If you look at this moment the names of the villages submitted to the table, I can say that their demands on the territory issue are very extreme and it is not possible to be accepted.” Eroglu claimed that on the territory issue the Greek Cypriot side wants much more than from those mentioned at the Annan plan.
Replying to a question whether the Greek Cypriots want to return to the situation before 1974, Eroglu said that 40 years have passed from 1974 until now, adding that the changes, which have been made in the meantime, cannot be ignored.
Eroglu claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side wants to depart from these negotiations with an agreement, adding, however, that if the Greek Cypriot side continues to insist on their demands, then with such attitude it is not possible for the Turkish Cypriot “people” to give a positive reply. He also said that the international forces, who desire a Cyprus settlement, should evaluate it.
Asked to comment on the reaction of the Turkish side on the upcoming tripartite meeting among Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, Eroglu said this cooperation will make it even harder to reach an agreement in Cyprus. Eroglu claimed that the Greek Cypriot side with this alliance will strengthen its hand and it (Greek Cypriot side) will think to aggravate its positions at the negotiating table.
Asked to comment on the allegation that the suspension of the Cyprus talks by the Greek Cypriot side will strengthen him prior to the “presidential elections April 2015”, Eroglu said that he aims to sit at the negotiating table until the “elections”, adding that he has already conveyed this to the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide and to Ambassadors. Eroglu noted: “Like the allegation that the Greek Cypriot side does not want me, there is also this allegation. All along, I say that I am ready for an agreement based on the realities existing in Cyprus.”
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 06.11.14) during a reception on Thursday, on a remark regarding the claims of the existence of a map at the negotiation table, Eroglu claimed that during the trilateral summit in Geneva, the Greek Cypriot insisted on bringing a map to the table, while the Turkish side expressed their criteria on land, convincing UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon that the map issue will be the last to come up at the table. According to Eroglu, it was agreed that when an agreement was made on the other headings and the decision to have a meeting with the guarantor states was given, the map and a number issues would arise at the table, adding that this has been continued since the Christofias period.
Eroglu claimed that despite this, Anastasiades insisted on brining a map to the table and when the decision which was written down on the report of Ban Ki-moon at Geneva, was transferred to him, he put forth the name of villages. Eroglu noted that despite the Turkish side stating that “We will not take into consideration the list with the village names,” the list was still brought to the table. Eroglu noted that the list which included the whole area of occupied Karpassia, the occupied village of Kythrea and its surroundings, the occupied village of Agios Sergios and its surrounding and the occupied Morphou, formed more or less a tableau.
Eroglu further said that the village names were the areas wanted by the Greek Cypriots and that the official reports including the names of these villages were brought to the table and that despite the Turkish side expressing that they will not consider these and the UN transferring these to their documents, these names were put forth at the table, adding that the names were also present at the Turkish side.
On the other hand, source close to the government of the Republic of Cyprus told to the paper that the names were given as an “example” and that the Greek Cypriot negotiating team communicated that the names were only “examples” and that they were not meant to refer to any decided map.