President Mustafa Akinci has been sidelined by Turkey because he did not abandon his position for a bi-zonal bi-communal solution to the Cyprus problem and opposes the “separate state formula”. Arguing that the negotiations for the Cyprus problem are being held between South Cyprus and Turkey, Turkish Cypriot daily ‘Afrika’ writes that Akinci is being pushed out of the process. It writes the following:
“It was revealed that Anastasiades, who did not meet with Akinci in New York, held a meeting with [Turkish Foreign Minister] Cavusoglu. In the information which was leaked, it is alleged that confederation was discussed. Kudret Ozersay continued in Cyprus, the meetings he had started in New York with DISY chairman Averof Neofitou and the night before met with Averof at dinner in Korucam [….]
“The meeting between Mevlut Cavusoglu and Anastasiades was kept strictly secret. Anastasiades is making no statement to answer the insistent questions by Greek Cypriot journalists and is contented with saying that ‘I have briefed the National Council’. Only political activist Eleni Theocharous talked in the end, about the National Council meeting. ‘Turkey has activated its Plan B, which will lead either to federation or to two states in the form of full separation’, said Theocharous”.
In his daily column, Afrika’s editor-in-chief, Sener Levent argues that the decision to sideline Akinci had been actually taken during Cavusoglu’s visit to the north of the island a few months ago and the meeting with the Turkish Cypriot political party leaders at Akinci’s office in which the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs asked them what they thought about the idea of having two separate states in Cyprus. Noting that Akinci replied that he only supported a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, Levent writes that Cavusoglu asked: “Very well, if the Greek Cypriot side accepts the separate state, again, you will not accept it?” “No one replied to this, but it is obvious that Cavusoglu knew other things which they did not know”, argues Levent, adding that everything was revealed now in New York.
Afrika
