Cyprus Talks: Akıncı disappointed at the response of Greek Cypriot side over the rejection of his call for talks resumption on the basis of the Gutteres Framework

President of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, Mustafa Akıncı has said that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades’s negative response to his call to announce the Gutteres Framework as a strategic framework package if the Greek Cypriot side accepted it without any changes has not come as surprise.

In a written statement issued on Wednesday, Akinci said that he was greatly disappointed to see the Greek Cypriot leader blatantly reject his call made on April 30^th 2018.

Even though Mr. Anastasiades repeatedly stated on numerous occasions after Crans Montana that he supported the Guterres Framework it has emerged that this is not the case said Akıncı.

Highlighting the need for the international community, particularly the UN and the EU as well as organisations on both sides of the island to evaluate this situation objectively, Akıncı said that the Greek Cypriot leader with his latest remarks had revealed that he rejected the notions of political equality and effective participation in decision making.

He made it clear that he supported the establishment of a structure where decisions would be taken with a simple majority.

This stance shows that the Greek Cypriot leadership, contrary to its statements, prefers the continuation of the status quo on the island. As it is known, I had stated that on the 30^th of April 2018 that if the Greek Cypriot side was ready to accept the Guterres framework as it is, without any alterations, we could announce it as a strategic package agreement. I had stated that only then would holding negotiations to fill in the blanks have meaning. Mr. Anastasiades spent the last month without responding only to finally blatantly reject this proposal in an interview to Filelefteros the other day, he said.

Akıncı reminded that he had confirmed with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during his meeting in New York on the 23^rd of September 2017 that there was only one framework document that had been presented to the two sides by the UN Chief on the 30^th of June 2017.

Mr. Anatasiades’s response is concerning but not surprising because this is where he stood at Crans Montana and this is where he stands today he added.

The President also pointed out the views put forward by the Greek Cypriot leader in a letter sent to the UN Secretary General were outside the framework.

It is disappointing to see that this important step, as in previous examples, has not been met with reciprocal steps he said, adding that this initiative was taken for a better future for the island.

Source: BRTK