Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said on Monday “at the current stage, there is no decision to open Varosha”, adding that in order to do so all legal and political aspects need to be taken into consideration and such an opening should be adapted to the parameters of the United Nations.
Akinci told Turkish newspaper Milliyet said that the situation which has been continuing for 43 years now, has not been beneficial for anyone and that a way out of it should be found.
“I said this before…I asked that Varosha would be put into people service, not for snakes.”
“I had said that the Greek Cypriots would be able to return here under the command of the United Nations. But I asked in return the opening of Famagusta port and that Ercan (Tymbou) airport would be open to international flights. After my election, I did not see any approach on this issue, especially on the matter of the airport”, he said.
Referring to the Cyprus peace talks, the Turkish Cypriot leader argued that the Greek Cypriot side did not adapt to the parameters of the United Nations, saying that in every solution process “they behave as a bride who does not want to dance”.
Mustafa Akinci said that if a solution is not found, “the two different state entities will continue to take root”.
He said that their aim was to reach a formula of a federate state based on the principal of political equality.
“In this sense, we do not have to criticise the UN’s parameters. It is the Greek Cypriot side that does not adapt to these parameters. That’s what the whole world saw”.
Akinci said that if one side does not adapt to these parameters, it means it is not ready to share a roof.
“Besides, there are already two roofs,” he said.
The Turkish Cypriot leader said that if a federal solution is not achieved then two different entities will continue to take roots.
“Can these two entities meet under the roof of the EU?…We want to become a member of the international community.”
The Turkish Cypriot leader argued that there while the GC leadership behind closed doors was saying that a rotating presidency will be accepted, it was saying the opposite to its community.
He accused the Greek Cypriot leadership of not preparing their community for a federal solution.
“The Greek Cypriot side does not know what a federation means. They did not explain to the Greek Cypriot community what the Turkish Cypriots had gone through 1963-1974.
“They present the Cyprus problem as if it began in 1974 and they explain to the GC community continuously what the Greek Cypriots have gone through. And they suffered, this is a reality. But the Turkish Cypriots also suffered a lot…They have to tell them,” he said.
