The Democratic Alarm views positively the results of today’s meeting between the two leaders and the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on the Cyprus issue, María Ángela Olguín, and the agreements reached to promote specific confidence-building measures.
“Another positive development is the announcement of a new trilateral meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General in the coming weeks. We reiterate, however, that confidence-building measures cannot replace substantive negotiations for a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem,” Pindarou stated in a press release.
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She adds, at the same time, that the goal is to hold an expanded meeting with the participation of the guarantor powers, “in order to unlock the process for resuming talks, while fully preserving the negotiating achievements and on the basis of the agreed framework for a solution, the relevant United Nations resolutions, and the principles and values of the European Union.”
AKEL: Progress on the JCCs is a positive step, but we need to focus on the substance
“The progress achieved on confidence-building measures, with the opening of two new roadblocks, and the commitment to a new trilateral meeting under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, constitute a positive step toward strengthening the atmosphere between the two communities. At the same time, we note that regarding the opening of roadblocks—based on what has been publicly reported regarding both the number and the locations of the crossing points—the announcements fall short of the expectations that had been raised in recent days.
Today’s announcements must be accompanied by corresponding steps regarding the substance of the Cyprus issue, since the ultimate goal was and remains the resumption of negotiations from the point where they were suspended in 2017. To this end, the priority for the coming period is to consolidate the areas of convergence documented by the United Nations and for the two communities to work toward bringing us even closer to convening a five-partyconference under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.
AKEL has submitted a relevant proposal with a roadmap to the UN Secretary-General—and has informed the National Council accordingly—and calls on the two leaders to focus on this effort in the coming period.”
DIKO: The new trilateral meeting with the UN Secretary-General is a positive development—We condemn Erdogan’s statements that undermine efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue
“The Democratic Party welcomes the agreement to hold a new trilateral meeting with the participation of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in the coming weeks. This is a positive development that keeps alive the prospect of resuming substantive negotiations to resolve the Cyprus issue.
At the same time, however, we condemn the latest statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who reiterates Ankara’s insistence on a two-state solution, calls on the international community to recognize the pseudo-state, and announces new initiatives to strengthen its international presence. These statements, particularly given the current circumstances in which they are being repeated, directly contradict the agreed-upon basis for a solution, the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the very effort to restart the negotiation process.
It is not possible, on the one hand, to attempt to resume talks under the auspices of the United Nations and, on the other hand, for Turkey to insist on imposing a fait accompli of partition and on international recognition of the occupying entity.
With regard to the Confidence-Building Measures, we view the agreements reached positively. We reiterate, however, our long-standing position that CBMs cannot replace a solution to the Cyprus problem nor serve as a precondition for the resumption of substantive negotiations.
The Democratic Party supports the efforts of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, to resume talks on the agreed basis and in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
The upcoming trilateral meeting must serve as a step toward the resumption of substantive negotiations. Real progress, however, requires putting pressure on Turkey to abandon its divisive and unacceptable demands for a “two-state” solution.”
Leap: She was in labor and gave birth to a myth
“In May, the President of the Republic was raising hopes for a solution to the Cyprus problem even before the end of the year. Six months later, we’ve reached the point where we consider it a positive development that the plug hasn’t yet been pulled on the Cyprus issue’s life support. The outcome of today’s trilateral meeting is limited to two roadblocks, one of which was a long-standing demand of the Turkish Cypriot side, and the prospect of yet another meeting with the UN Secretary-General.
As the Leader of our Movement pointed out last August, Turkey has been dragging its feet on the Cyprus issue for 52 years now. How difficult would it be for it to drag things out for another four months, until the end of Guterres’s term? Unfortunately, recent developments seem to confirm this assessment. With less than eight weeks remaining until the end of the Secretary-General’s term, there is still no agreement even on convening a five-party meeting, let alone on resuming substantive negotiations. And amid all this, Turkey has now found itself completely outside the scope of responsibility, despite the fact that its stance remains entirely negative.
We note that the President of the Republic did not convene the National Council in advance, despite our request to do so. Keeping the process alive is certainly positive. However, it cannot be confused with substantive progress toward a solution.”
