STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTRY AND THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Foreign Minister of the Greek Cypriot administration Yorgos Lillikas has refused the invitation made in good-faith by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Assoc. Prof. Turgay Avcı regarding the discussion of the Cyprus issue by two foreign ministers in a third country. Notwithstanding the constructive stance of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Avcı, Lillikas’ response clearly shows the fact that the Greek Cypriot leadership sees the Turkish Cypriots not as equals but as a “minority”.

It is clear that the aim of the Greek Cypriot administration has been to establish contact with Motherland Turkey by refusing to accept the Turkish Cypriot side as its counterpart, thus maintaining the title of the “Republic of Cyprus”, which it usurped by preventing an agreement. This case has demonstrated once again that the persistence of the international community to regard the Greek Cypriot administration as the “government of the Republic of Cyprus” only serves to reinforce the intransigence of the Greek Cypriot side thus further hardening the intractability of the Cyprus issue. Lillikas and other Greek Cypriot politicians are able to reject the constructive openings put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side without any concern through the strength they get from the illegal title they usurped by force of arms and the international negligence in this regard. In light of all these facts, we expect the Greek Cypriot leadership to adopt a positive approach regarding the 8^th July Agreement and move it forward without further delay.

The stance adopted by Lillikas, who rejected the invitation of our Foreign Minister made in good-faith and constructive manner, has once again revealed the Greek Cypriot administration’s policy to retain the Cyprus issue unsettled. We expect the international community to take into careful consideration the negative stance of the Greek Cypriot administration which rejects all constructive initiatives of the Turkish Cypriot side.

3 May 2007, Lefkoşa.