In the light of recent events, President Mustafa Akinci should change his position on the solution to the Cyprus problem, newly appointed Prime Minister Ersin Tatar has said.
The Greek Cypriots have demonstrated no good will since Akinci was elected as President, he said. Tatar added that Turkey and the TRNC government had asked Akinci to adjust his position to encompass alternatives to federation. President Akinci has always stood firm on federal reunification, saying that was the mandate he was elected on. However, he has also said that he was open to new ideas if they were feasible.
Prime Minister Tatar said that the Cyprus problem was “continuously evolving” and the island was not the same because of hydrocarbon exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, the agreements signed by South Cyprus [granting drilling rights] with larger countries and the steps taken by Turkey to protect Turkish Cypriot rights and interests in the region and potential drilling activities by Turkish drillships ‘Fatih’ and ‘Yavuz’ around the island. “That is, this is not an issue of territory alone. It is an issue of sovereign rights in this area. It is an issue of rights and interests in this area”, he emphasised.
Referring to the tasks for the new coalition government, Tatar said that its first job would be to sign the protocol for economic cooperation with Turkey, adding that the economy would be among the main issues they would be tackling.
Kibris, LGC News
