No Cyprus talks under Turkey threats

Nicosia will not proceed with Cyprus talks under Turkish threats but welcomed the fact that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is committed to resuming peace negotiations after the October election for a Turkish Cypriot leader.

Deputy government spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas said dialogue should take place in the right framework not Turkish threats against the Republic of Cyprus regarding its EEZ and opening the fenced-off town of Varosha.

“The President of the Republic welcomes the fact that the UN Secretary-General reiterates his commitment and determination that after the voting process to elect the new Turkish Cypriot leader he will resume efforts for a settlement of the Cyprus problem.”

“He also welcomes the fact that the UN Secretary-General asks to avoid unilateral actions that could undermine the future success of the negotiations.”

Sentonas recalled that in his last letter to Guterres, President Anastasiades reiterated his proposal to set up a Technical Committee comprising Cypriot and international experts for reconstructing Varosha.

“The appropriate climate needs to be created…because we cannot proceed to negotiations under threats.”

Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana failed.

After a meeting in Berlin, on November 25 2019, among Guterres, Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, the UN chief agreed to extend his efforts to achieve terms of reference to serve as a consensus for phased, meaningful, and results-oriented negotiations at the earliest feasible opportunity.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. (source CNA)