The TRNC President’s Office issued a written statement responding to the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades’ claims.
The statement said Anastasiades’ statements and baseless accusations in a speech he delivered during an event on the 8th of October proved the Greek Cypriot leader’s success in twisting the facts.
“Anastasiades during a speech he delivered in the US said that the Greek Cypriots still have Hellenic DNA and they are not less Hellenic than their ancestors. Anastasiades’ glorifying of the EOKA- a terrorist organization which murdered thousands of people with the aim of Enosis and referring to its establishment as ‘one of the glorious days of Hellenism’ during a speech he delivered on the anniversary of the establishment of EOKA on the 1st of April is still in everyone’s minds” the statement said.
“Mr. Anastasiades who continued his racist and extremist mentality during the 5+UN informal meeting in Geneva in April 2020, proposed the Republic of Cyprus to turn to a so-called decentralized federation by giving the Turkish Cypriots some concessions, meaning minority rights and the complete removal of the guarantee system. It is obvious that it is not possible to have a federal partnership with a side which sees itself superior and underestimates the Turkish Cypriot side. It is clear that the realization of a two partnered federation formula which is one of the most difficult regimes is not possible in Cyprus where there is no strong common interests, mutual dependency, power balance and mutual respect” the statement added.
“Following President Ersin Tatar’s election in October 2020, the Turkish Cypriot side, by taking into account the unsuccessful process of the past, current realities and the stability and cooperation needed on the island and in the region, put forward its vision which envisages increasing the cooperation between the two sides on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status.
“Despite President Tatar’s constructive vision based on rights and equality which is supported by Turkey accusing both our President and the Republic of Turkey of intransigence by perverting the facts, is an effort to cover up their own guilt by distorting the facts. We condemn this” said the statement.
It added that everyone is aware of the hegemonic and one-sided activities of the Greek Cypriot side and that both the TRNC and Turkey will take all necessary steps to protect their rights and interests in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Reminding that as stated by the UN Secretary General after the 5+UN informal meeting in Geneva there was no common ground to start official negotiations between the two sides, the statement noted that the Turkish Cypriot side, upon UN Envoy Jane Holl Lute leaving the office, called on the UN Chief to appoint a private representative with the aim of determining whether there is common ground to start official negotiations.
Pointing out that this proposal was also approved by the UN Secretary General and that it was openly stated in the UN draft statement that the sides accepted the appointment of a special representative by the UN Chief, the statement said “it is horrible that the Greek Cypriot side by falsifying this reality accuses President Tatar”.
“We want to stress that this is the main reason the UN Secretary General could not appoint a new representative” noted the statement.
The President’s Office also responded to Anastasiades’ claims on the hydrocarbon issue.
“Anastasiades claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side did not bring this issue to the table during the negotiations held between 2012 and 2017. This is a big lie! It is very well known that the proposals put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side in 2011, 2012 and finally in 2019 are based on dialogue and cooperation. Our proposal on resources which are our common wealth and which belong to both peoples is still on the table” the statement stressed.
Calling on the Greek Cypriot administration to give up on its hegemonistic way of thinking, the statement said that this issue related to the natural resources of the island is not just a matter of income sharing, but also about the right to equal say and the right to decide and manage.
While this is the case, it should be known to everyone that in the face of the ongoing hegemonic and one-sided activities of the Greek Cypriot side, both the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Turkey will take all necessary steps to protect their rights and interests in Cyprus and in the Eastern Mediterranean.