A foreign diplomat has criticised both sides of the island for their stance in the Cyprus talks, ‘Kibris Gazetesi’ reports.
Addressing a round table meeting in the buffer zone in Nicosia, the diplomat said, on the condition of remaining anonymous, that opportunities “come and go” on the Cyprus problem and argued that “the last opportunity is being wasted”. The foreign diplomat claimed that both leaders have not enough will to solve the problem and find “making manoeuvers to achieve short-term domestic goals” more “attractive” than solving the Cyprus problem.
The source said, inter alia, the following: “Let no one think that the interest of the international community in the problem is permanent. The international community is fed up with dealing with the problem. The sides are negotiating in order to gain something. The Turkish side especially has caused disappointment on this issue. The sides turned the negotiations into a platform on which they have managed to impose their own arguments and show this to their own voters. On the other hand, questions exist as to whether Turkey wants to cooperate with its neighbours on the issue of sharing the seas in Eastern Mediterranean”.
Other questions, the diplomat added, concern the issues of whether it is right for the Turkish Cypriots to possess 37% of the island and settlers from Turkey to be admitted to North Cyprus. The diplomat noted that the solution of the Cyprus problem will eliminate the existing risks, which the Cypriots also fear should the non-solution continue.
