The South continues to press the Turkish Cypriots for written proposals concerning the issues of territory and citizenship.
No substantial proposals have been submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side on the chapters of territory and citizenship, in the framework of UN-led talks for a Cyprus solution, South Cyprus Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said last night, ‘Famagusta Gazete’.
He said that “we cannot claim that we discuss territory, without touching upon the issue of maps or percentages” concerning the territorial adjustment.
The government spokesman added that the fact that the Turkish Cypriots had said, during the initial phase, or screening process, that any territorial adjustments could not inflict new injustices to people did not, in essence, constitute a proposal.
Moreover, he said that the core issue in the discussion on citizenship concerns the subject of settlers. Christodouliudes added that the Turkish Cypriot side expressed readiness to submit its proposal on the chapter, but has not done so yet.
The Turkish position that the discussion on the chapter of security and guarantees must take place in the presence of guarantor powers was dismissed by Christodouliudes. Instead, he said it should be discussed just like all other chapters, during the currently ongoing second phase of the negotiations.
