''The complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from island is impossible'' - Akinci

Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, President Mustafa Akinci in an interview broadcasted by the BBC’s Turkish service, has said that the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from North Cyprus is impossible.

According to Akinci, “This is a red line for the Turkish Cypriot side.” adding that a limited number of Turkish troops would remain on the island as of necessity, in the event of a Cyprus settlement.

In reference to the Geneva summit in January 2017, Akinci insisted that if Greece and south Cyprus insisted on a settlement that includes “no guarantees and no armies,” then the “negotiations will end before they even begin.”

Akinci also stated that his demand for the presence of Turkish military on the island and a system of guarantees, which the Greek Cypriot side wants to scrap as an “anachronism,” stemmed from his desire “not to experience war again.”

Akinci who noted that Turkey would not annex the north, in the event that the negotiations and the summit do not lead to a solution, said;

“I want a preventive force so that we don’t live through such days of war again.” 

“What the Turkish Cypriots want is a solution that will provide safety for them. What kind of solution? A bi-communal federation. If this is not possible then the TRNC will continue its road. […] Life will go on”, he added.

Halkin Sesi