“We had a consultation meeting on what was agreed at the informal expanded meeting in Geneva with the UN Secretary General, who intends to appoint his Personal Envoy Ms. Olgin, an appointment for which we have given approval,” Ersin Tatar said on his return to the occupied territories after meeting with Cypriot President Christodoulides.

The Turkish Cypriot leader said he understood that “southern Cyprus”(sic) has also approved the appointment of Maria Angela Olgin Quayar.

In Geneva, he said, it was made clear that Ms Olgin would not come to seek common ground between the sides but to help the sides implement the six points agreed “and with this understanding she will be given this task. We look forward to her appointment in the near future.” However, President Christodoulides made it clear that in Geneva it was agreed before the UN Secretary General that his personal envoy would deal with the issue of the resumption of talks and not with the implementation of the MEAs.

Tatar said that they as the Turkish Cypriot side condemn the statements made on the 70th anniversary of the founding of EOKA, where it was heard on different occasions that the goal of EOKA 70 years ago was the unification of the island with Greece and that this struggle continues, while officially the Greek Cypriot leadership talks about the reunification of Cyprus. “And I questioned the sincerity of that,” he said.

He reiterated, he said, his position that the Turkish Cypriot side has now moved on to a new policy, as all efforts for a federal solution have failed, and both sides – until a final solution is found – can jointly implement a number of projects that will benefit “both peoples.”