Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades urged Sunday the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu to proceed to the dialogue for achieving a solution of the Cyprus problem with genuine goodwill.
The President, who will meet Monday afternoon with the Turkish Cypriot leader in the Nicosia buffer zone, expressed disappointment with Eroglu's statements in a Turkish newspaper, one day before their meeting in Nicosia. In his statements, Eroglu insists on a solution based on "two states and two peoples" in Cyprus in contrast to the UN Security Council resolutions.
President Anastasiades urged the international community to assess Eroglu's statements and demonstrate a more vivid interest in the Cyprus issue and in Cyprus, which is the only divided country in Europe.
The President sent the message that the continued division and the current status quo in Cyprus is not in favor neither of the Turkish Cypriot community nor of the Greek Cypriot one.
“The Turkish Cypriot leaders should finally realize that they should engage in dialogue with genuine goodwill, so as we meet and solve the Cyprus problem soon, if indeed there is a willingness on the other side and if Turkey wants to implement its declarations”, he said.
The President of the Republic indicated that the key parameters that have been agreed should be clarified from the beginning, and said that these include a state with a single sovereignty, a single international personality, a single citizenship, a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal state with mutual respect for the rights of all residents.
Pointing out that he won’t engage in an endless debate when the positions of the Turkish Cypriot side are in full contrast with the positions of the Greek Cypriot side, he called on all the stakeholders in the Cyprus problem to actively contribute in resolving the problem.
He also invited the Turkish Cypriots to realize that they are already European citizens, since they hold the citizenship and passports of the Republic of Cyprus and that they could have much more economic wealth and prosperity if they will finally realize that the time has come to join hands and move forward with respect for human rights and respect for the existence of communities.
Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish invasion in the summer of 1974. Around 37% of Cyprus’ territory is under Turkish occupation.
The two communities have been meeting with the UN the past few weeks in an effort to agree on a joint declaration for the resumption of talks. In a written statement last week Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said that President Anastasiades took the initiative to invite the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu for an informal meeting on November 25, with the aim to conclude on a joint statement that will pave the way for the solution of the Cyprus problem.
