Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar newspaper (09.03.12) reports that Huseyin Ozgurgun, breakaway regime’s “foreign minister”, has said that there was not enough progress in the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem and alleged that the Greek Cypriot side refrains from carrying out productive negotiations and from entering into a give and take process having the win-win mentality.
Giving a lecture in Turkey at Kutahya’s Dumlupinar University, Ozgurgun alleged yesterday that if a solution is not reached by 1 July 2012 when the Republic of Cyprus will overtake the EU term presidency, it will not be possible to continue the negotiations in a productive manner.
Ozgurgun accused the Greek Cypriot side of violating the secrecy principle of the negotiations by leaking documents to the press and claimed that UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus Alexander Downer was influenced by the criticism made against him by the Greek Cypriot side and the decision unanimously taken by the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus.
Ozgurgun argued that Downer met with some Turkish Cypriot political parties and civilian organizations and called on the Turkish Cypriots to revolt so that the Greek Cypriot positions at the negotiating table are accepted. “Let no one have any doubts that just like we did in the past, we will show the necessary reaction in front of such unethical initiatives”, he added.
He alleged that the Turkish Cypriot side will continue doing its duty for a solution by 1 July 2012, but “no one has the right to jail the Turkish Cypriot people in a process with no end”. “When that day comes, we will put in front of us all our alternatives and take the most correct decision for our state together with our people”, he said adding that they are not without alternatives. “As long as we have our state and the support of our motherland is by our side, we can protect our rights and interests on the island in any case”, he added.
Referring to the presidential elections which will be held in the Republic of Cyprus in 2013, Ozgurgun said that it is not important for them who will win. “The important thing is for the realities on the island and the equal sovereign status of the Turkish Cypriot people to be digested. No one of the Greek Cypriot politicians today gives any hope in this direction”, he argued.