President Mustafa Akıncı has issued a written statement evaluating the Eastern Mediterranean issue and the Cyprus issue.
The President said that in view of the fact both sides in Cyprus were deploying military air vehicles meant that the focus on using natural resources as an opportunity to bring peace and prosperity to the island was even more urgent.[South Cyprus has acquired four Israeli-made drones, according to its defense ministry, amid tensions with Turkey over gas exploration in the island’s waters.]
“At this point by repeating my call for reconciliation, I want to remind that the proposal I put forward on the 13th of July which aimed to change the hydrocarbon issue from being an area of tension and conflict to a means of a fruitful cooperation between the two peoples, is still on the table”, Akıncı said and added the steps taken by the Greek Cypriot side to unilaterally benefit from the hydrocarbons had led to the same steps being taken in the North.
Stressing that the latest developments proved that the urgency of a solution in Cyprus went beyond the borders and had become a need for the region, he said “all our efforts are towards the establishment of conditions which there will be no tension in our island and in our region and which cooperation and peace will prevail.
“The negative results of efforts aimed at achieving superiority through a policy of tension instead of our proposals based on sharing and managing together is becoming clearer with every passing day”, Akıncı said.
Stating that South Cyprus’ recent military relations with Israel and the unmanned aerial vehicles purchased within this framework had increased concerns, the President said:
“The tension which started with the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to unilaterally benefit from the natural resources around Cyprus had reached a different dimension with the agreements signed with some regional countries by ignoring the Turkish Cypriots rights. Even the issue of providing a military base for some foreign countries in South Cyprus is coming to agenda at times. It is also known that some conveniences are provided for the military ships of some countries at the ports.
“Besides all of these, lifting the arms embargo for the Greek Cypriot side which was brought onto the agenda again by the USA is a negative development”.
BRT, Times of Israel
