Akinci condemneds attack calls for common sense and unity

President of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci, has condemned Monday attack on Turkish Cypriot daily, Afrika calling for common sense and unity.

Speaking on Monday morning, Akinci said;

It is not possible to correct wrong ideas with the wrong actions. On the contrary it creates widespread unrest. For that reason, I know it is my duty to warn our entire community. At a time when we need common sense and unity, unfortunately we are drifting towards a very dangerous crossroads.

Afrika had on Sunday published an inflammatory headline accusing Turkey of launching another invasion in reference to its military action in Afrin, Syria.

On July 20, 1974, the Turkish Armed Forces carried out a peace initiative after an attempted coup by Nikos Sampson and the Fascist Greek Junta on 15 July. 

Speaking on Turkey’s peace initiative at the time, Akinci said, Turkey was obliged to take measures to protect the Turkish Cypriots during the days of the Enosis campaign in Cyprus.

If it were not for 20 July, Cyprus would have turned into a Greek island, and Turkish Cypriots would most likely have become a Turkish minority as in Western Thrace, Akinci said.

Calling Turkey’s rescue operation an “occupation” was unacceptable, he said.

Referring to the Annan framework of 2004 and the Crans-Montana Cyprus Conference in the summer of 2017, he said that an ‘invader’ would not willingly offer to reduce its troop numbers in the interests of peace negotiations.

Sourced and edited from Kibris News Agency