Cyprus talks: No endless fruitless negotiations: Akinci

President of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci has said that the Cyprus negotiations cannot continue in its current form for the next 50 years.

We shall not get into fruitless negotiations. We are determined in this regard, he stated on Tuesday.

Akinci made the comments when addressing a delegation from the Turkish Chamber of Industry from Kocaeli, Turkey.

According to him, after the elections in South Cyprus, it will be decided if a strategic agreement framework can be found and if the UN Secretary-General can make this happen, after meetings with the two sides. 

He however noted that, this has already been rejected by the Greek Cypriot side, which, as he said “is like seeking for an interim solution, while we are looking for a comprehensive solution. This is not different to what Guterres tried to do in Crans–Montana.” 

He also said that the Cyprus problem is not a security and guarantees issue as the Greek Cypriots have asserted. The fundamental problem is that the Greek Cypriots do not consider the Turkish Cypriots as equals and that they try to find ways to just add the Turkish Cypriots to the Republic of Cyprus, which they own and which they tried to united with Greece.

It was the guarantees that prevented this from happening”, Akinci pointed out.

He added that if the Cyprus problem cannot be solved now, then future generations will seek other models for a solution.

The president also said that the Greek Cypriot youth had become estranged from the solution and only a small number cross to the north, while Turkish Cypriot youth visit the south of the island more frequently.

Volcan