President Dervis Eroglu says that the Turkish Cypriots have never lost their belief or their commitment to achieving a peaceful and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem despite the suffering they have gone through over the past 50 years, Bayrak Television reports.
Eroglu stated that all efforts to achieve a bi-zonal and bi-communal federal settlement have failed because of the Greek Cypriot side’s lack of political will. He also said that Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, right after his election had postponed the talks for a whole year, citing economic problems as an excuse; Eroglu said it had taken a whole 6 months for him to appoint a special representative and negotiator.
Touching upon the latest developments, Eroglu alleged that “while we were expecting Anastasiades to come to the table to start a process of give and take, he was planning ways to suspend the talks.” He added that with the backing of the Greek Cypriot political parties, he had preferred to withdraw from the talks, rather than engage in a process of give and take.
“It is openly clear that their intention is not to reach a settlement. They have no intention of reaching a settlement with us. Their intention is to continue to use the internationally recognised “Republic of Cyprus” which they took over with the force of arms to punish us and Turkey. It is they who have walked away from the table and now it is they who are putting forward preconditions to return.
I told the newly appointed UN Special Adviser Eide that we as the Turkish Cypriot side will not accept any preconditions so that the Greek Cypriot side will return to the negotiating table” he said.
Eroglu further stated that the Turkish Cypriot side remained committed to reaching a settlement on the realities on the island.
