President Mustafa Akinci has said nothing new regarding the tripartite meeting with President Anastasiades and UN Secretary-General Antonion Guterres held on 25 November in Berlin, leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP)Tufan Erhurman, has said following the recent briefing of the political parties represented in the assembly,
Erhurman noted, however, that they had had the opportunity to ask questions and get answers on some issues. He argued that the view of his party that the tripartite meeting would be a success if “the door for a five party meeting opened” was proved to be correct. He went on to say:
“The UNSG report has put forward that we were right. However, when Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades started debates on political equality, Guterres could have said to him ‘leave aside all these, let us discuss the basic matters’. Anastasiades forced us to waste two and a half years. Political equality is a basic parameter and it is not an issue for discussion. The whole of Cyprus needs a comprehensive solution the soonest possible. Since the agreement signed recently between Turkey and Libya was added to the process, serious tension exists in the Eastern Mediterranean. This situation could secure peace in the area. Therefore, in Berlin, it could have been stressed that the process is not open ended, but this did not happen.
“Insisting on the issue of federation, we must actually explain on which issue we insist. Everybody alleged that Anastasiades was ready to discuss confederation or two states, but it was seen what happened recently in Berlin and which formula is on the UN’s table. You know that in the government’s programme it was said that ‘we will negotiate two separate states under the EU roof’. Anastasiades should recognise the TRNC first in order for this to happen. And this is not enough. It should be accepted by the 28 EU member states and the Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council. Recently in Berlin the UN said ‘bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on political equality’. It once more declared federation, which is a Turkish position. Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side have put this position on the table together”.
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