Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, suggesting proposals for a number of confidence building measures (CBMs). It has been reported that one of the proposals was to permit international flights to Ercan under UN supervision in exchange for the fenced-off town of Varosha/Maraş again, under UN supervision.
Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides, who spoke to the Greek Cypriot press this morning, refrained from answering questions about what the proposals were.
Speaking to the Greek Cypriot official news agency CNA, Christodoulides confirmed that in the letter, a number of CBMs that will increase the hope for a solution to the Cyprus problem in line with the UN criteria, were included, and stated that they expected the Secretary-General to evaluate the letter. When faced with questions about what suggestions were in the letter, he said, “I don’t want to turn the suggestions into an advertising campaign, but we hope for a positive response to the president’s suggestions“. Christodoulides stated that the Greek Cypriot side’s attitude towards a solution has not changed and added that this is the same as the solution model envisaged in the UN criteria.
Sources close to the Turkish Cypriot presidency told Kibris Postasi that the said proposals were ‘unacceptable‘. Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu stated that he had not received any official suggestions on this matter. Ertuğruloğlu evaluated the proposal regarding Maraş as ‘let them not make fun of it‘.
Kibris Postasi