Cyprus President Demetris Christofias expressed on Wednesday regret over the impasse in the UN-backed negotiations on Cyprus “due to the lack of cooperation on behalf of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side and their unwillingness to continue the negotiations.”
In a press conference in the UN headquarters Christofias said he is “absolutely ready any time before the end of my term to continue negotiations with the other side under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the UN for an overall solution based on the UN resolutions, providing for a bi-zonal bi-communal federation with political equality as defined in the relevant UN resolutions.”
He also said he had raised both with UN Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon as well as the Permanent Representatives of the UN Security Council permanent members the “unacceptable threats of Turkey against Cyprus` sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone.”
Asked whether he is ready to allow the UN to fill in the gaps so that the negotiating process would proceed, Christofias said “of course I am not ready to accept arbitration,” noting that “we have bitter experience of the past and we didn’t move forward.”
In the 2004 negotiations in Burgenstock Switzerland the then UNSG Kofi Annan used his discretion to “fill in the gaps” between the two sides, which resulted in a plan that the Greek Cypriot side deemed as “imbalanced”, which rejected the Annan plan in April 24 2004 separate simultaneous referenda.
“What we need is a consistent stance by the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mr Eroglu accepting and honouring the convergences we achieved with his predecessor and of course the commitment we took in front of the UN SG with Mr Eroglu several times in our meetings,” he said, expressing gratitude to Mr Ban for his “personal warm interest for the solution of this problem.”
“Unfortunately Mr Eroglu is not ready, he said this frankly and openly. He says that until the presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus the negotiations are going for vacations,” he said adding “this is something which makes me sad.”
The President recalled that he “promised to the people of Cyprus from the very beginning that I am going to do my utmost in order to achieve the goal of reunifying the island, to put an end to the occupation, put an end to the colonization and to things which make all Cypriots unhappy and I mean Turkish Cypriots compatriots as well.”
Recalling that he is “the political fellow who frankly and sincerely states that the Turkish Cypriots are equal citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and are not citizens of second category,” Christofias noted that he “fought to restore the rights of the Turkish Cypriots but this does means that we are going to violate the rights of the other community, which happens to be the biggest community.” Political equality described by the UG of the UN is adopted by the Security Council and I was and I am ready until the last moment of my term to implement the UN resolutions and of course the provision of political equality,” he said.Christofias also recalled that with Eroglu’s predecessor, Mehmet Ali Talat “we achieved important convergences in several very crucial aspects of the problem and I was expecting that Mr Eroglu would keep his promise before the SG.”
“He didn’t and he doesn’t, so this is the case now,” he went on to say.
Commenting on Turkish press reports that Eroglu will propose to Mr Ban the establishment of an escrow fund from natural gas exploration that could finance a Cyprus settlement, Christofias recalled that both in last year and this year’s UN General Assembly he reiterated he is “absolutely ready to share with the Turkish Cypriots” the profits from natural gas exploration.
“But I am ready of course on the condition that we shall reunify together our country, our homeland and in the framework of a united Cyprus,” he added, pointing out that during the negotiations the two sides have agreed on how the two communities will share the income from natural gas.
“So Mr Eroglu is making such statements but he is not ready to negotiate and this is a contradiction,” he pointed out.
Replying to a comment on the differences between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, he said “he has never fought against anybody,” noting that “he is fighter against injustice.”
Recalling that one of the European Union’s principles is respect of the international law and the sovereignty of states, the President wondered whether Cyprus’ sovereignty is respected “when we have 27 per cent of the island occupied by Turkish troops.”
Noting that he blames the Turkish leadership and not the Turkish people, Christofias said “we must no escape from the substance and the substance is the occupation of a part of a sovereign state by a powerful neighbour.”
“So I call upon once again the Turkish leadership to sit down and think about the real interests of the people because they themselves create obstacles for Turkey’s accession to the EU,” he went on to say.
Recalling that Cyprus is in favour of Turkey’s EU bid, Christofias noted that “we have to defend the rights and the sovereignty of Cyprus.”
“So I think that the ball is in the part of Turkey and not in our part,” he added.
Replying to a question, the President noted that he has made proposals, which he described as “very fruitful.”
He referred to his proposal for the return of the ghost city of Famagusta, a city fenced-off since the 1974 Turkish invasion, as a response to the Turkish Cypriot request for direct trade with the EU.
Recalling the UN Security Council resolution 550 of 1984 calling on Turkey to transfer the area to the administration of the United Nations, the President noted that the opening of the city would allow Cyprus to defreeze chapters of Turkey’s EU accession course.
“There is no response. This would be an impetus for an overall agreement because I am sure the Turkish Cypriot people of Famagusta are in favour. Unfortunately, until now I am still waiting. I am waiting being patient and optimistic all the time,” he concluded.
Turkish Fenerbahce can feel safe in Cyprus
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Asked if the players of Turkish football club Fenerbahce can feel safe when they visit Cyprus for a match against Limassol’s AEL FC for the Europa League group stage, Christofias said he is a fan of a football team in Cyprus as are all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike.
“I really look forward to have a football game,” he said, adding that for him is a matter of principle to follow the regulations of the world football federation and the rules of civilized people.
“So we shall welcome Fenercbahce and of course we are going to do our utmost for the safety of the team and its players,” adding that some events of the past must not be exaggerated.
“This is sport and we have to respect sport in general and let us have a peaceful competition between the teams,” he added.
UN-backed talks, which began on September 2008 were interrupted as Eroglu withdrew from the talks reacting to the assumption of the EU rotating presidency by Cyprus.
Turkey, whose troops invaded the island in 1974, does not recognize Cyprus and has warned it would freeze its relations with the EU if Cyprus assumed the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
