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

The Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou has been issuing offensive statements against the Turkish Cypriot people as of the first date of his assignment. Unfortunately, he has made another similar statement when the working groups and the technical committees came together for the first time in this week. Kyprianou’s stance, who is one of the persons expected to contribute to the process launched with great hopes and expectations, is disappointing. In the report published by the Greek Cypriot daily Politis with reference to the Athens News Agency (ANA), Kyprianou did not go beyond reiterating his well-known views. He referred to the issue of guaranties as an “issue of the past” and expressed that the continuation of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus which has been  turned to a Greek Cypriot state since 1963, would be the basis for a solution.

The people of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will never accept to be patched up to the Greek Cypriot state under any circumstances. Insisting that the Greek Cypriot state is the  address for a settlement in Cyprus will only serve to solidify the division of the island. It is an indisputable fact that both peoples on the island only govern themselves. Disregarding this fact and still engaging in efforts to patch up the Turkish Cypriots to the Greek Cypriot state, will not only cause the failure of the launched process but also further deepen the crisis of confidence between the two peoples.

The Greek Cypriot side should acknowledge the fact that the ties between the TRNC and the Republic of Turkey cannot be severed. The Motherland Turkey is the only security of the Turkish Cypriot people.  We would like to strongly emphasize once again that the Turkish Cypriot people will not accept any agreement which would eliminate or dilute Turkey’s guarantorship.

The policies disregarding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and portraying the Greek Cypriot state as an address of the settlement in Cyprus, have not served for our island until today.  Insistence on the understanding  adopted by  Kyprianou will not contribute for a settlement.

We would like to reiterate once again that the Turkish Cypriot side will continue to the negotiations in good will in order to achieve an agreement on the basis of the political equality of the two peoples, bi-zonality and the equal status of the two Constituent States.

25 April 2008, Lefkoşa.