"I’m at peace with my conscience" - Nicos Anastasiades

Following July's failed Cyprus reunification talks in Cras-Motana, Switzerland, Greek Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades has said he is at peace with his conscience that he had done everything possible to achieve a settlement at the Cyprus talks.

Cyprus must become a normal state again, the President Nicos Anastasiades has said, adding that he is confident that everyone, should critical times follow, will join forces to address the situation.

Anastasiades made the comments when addressing the opening ceremony of the 19th World Conference of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots (Pomak), the International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (Pseka) and the World Conference of Young Overseas Cypriots (Nepomak) in Nicosia, on Monday.

According to him, Cyprus must become a normal state once again away from third party interventions.

Anastasiades said he trusted that everyone would join together and that the two communities could live together, “as long as neither Greek Cypriots nor Turkish Cypriots are turned into vessels serving third parties,” reports the Cyprus Mail.

Anastasiades said that each side ought to respect the other’s national identity and cultural traditions as they will have “only one homeland; Cyprus”.

He told the gathering that he had made many efforts to achieve a solution which would allow the transformation of the Republic of Cyprus into a modern European, independent and sovereign state but that this could only be achieved by being rid of the occupation army and the outdated system of guarantees.

He further accused Turkey for it's intransigence as being responsible for the deadlock reached at the talks in Switzerland and that despite the failure, blamed Turkey for refusing to withdraw its troops and abolish the guarantor rights.