This year has been a difficult one both for the world and for the Turkish Cypriots, referring to flooding that occurred in the TRNC, President Mustafa Akinci said in his New Year’s message.
Among the most pressing issues were flood prevention and femicide. He underlined how important it was to learn from mistakes and disaster events.
“Only then can we be successful by taking the right steps”, he said.
The President also repeated his view that any settlement of the Cyprus problem should be within UN parameters and through negotiation.
He said that 2018 had not been very productive as far as the Cyprus talks went. Akinci noted, however, that the Turkish Cypriot side had maintained a constructive stance as regards a settlement.
The aim, he said, was to ensure a secure future for the coming generations.
“It is with disappointment that I have to express the fact that it is only the Turkish Cypriot community which has made a concerted effort towards settling the Cyprus problem and who are worried about the time which is being lost”.
The Turkish Cypriots will never accept being a minority nor the formation of a unitary state, said Akinci.
He said that the Greek Cypriots would have to bear the responsibility of a permanently divided island, if they refuse to share power and Cyprus’ natural wealth.
The President described the opening of the Derinya and Aplic border crossings this year as a positive development. He also expressed the hope that other confidence building measures such as island-wide mobile telephony and the interconnection of the two Cypriot communities’ power grids would be achieved in the New Year.
President Akinci said that he hoped that the New Year will happiness and prosperity to the Turkish Cypriot people.
BRT
