Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay, has said that the TRNC was opposed to the idea that the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus continues to operate the way it currently does. “In other words we are opposed to the continuation of the status quo”, Ozersay added.
Speaking to BRT in New York, Ozersay claimed that the Greek Cypriot side perceived any changes to be made to UNFICYP’s mandate as change of the status quo. “This is why they oppose any changes. Our struggle is in that direction”, he said.
Stating that the Greek Cypriot side was trying to associate the UN Peacekeeping Force with the Turkish Armed Forces on the island, Ozersay reminded that UNFICYP had been sent to Cyprus in 1964 for a different purpose.
“The conditions have since changed”, he argued, adding that the Greek Cypriots were trying to prevent any changes to be made to UNFICYP’s mandate under the pretext that the UN’s presence was necessary to facilitate talks between the two sides.
“Obviously there have been no negotiations in Cyprus following the collapse of the negotiations in Crans-Montana in 2017. The Greek Cypriots are trying to prevent any changes to be made to UNFICYP’s mandate with the excuse that the UN is needed to facilitate negotiations. This is an inconsistent approach. We are against this understanding that UNFICYP should continue its operations as it currently does. In other words we are against the continuation of the status quo and are undertaking diplomatic initiatives in that direction”, he added.
Meanwhile, Ozersay met with the Special Envoy of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of January Jose Singer.
BRT
