‘International law not enough to solve the Cyprus problem’

The upcoming dinner between President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar could be the first key step towards resuming talks, Christodoulides said on Friday.

Attending an Akel-organised conference called ‘Cyprus problem: Zero hour’ the President said he was cautiously optimistic the dinner slated for October 15 in New York could pave the way for talks.

“If we want to take stock 50 years later, we must also criticise ourselves for years proceeding by invoking international law and I believe that today there is no one who will disagree with me that international law alone can in no way resolve the Cyprus problem or any regional international problem.”

No only is the status quo dangerous but it also has serious risks, and bars the country from utilising all its possibilities, Christodoulides said.

“The term ‘zero hour’ is not a figure of speech. It’s a truth we live through on a daily basis every day for the past 5- years.”

He added that Turkish claims, as expressed publicly, cannot be accepted. “Sovereignty equality, direct flights, direct trade, direct contacts are incompatible with our own aspirations because they do not lead to the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework.

“These are approaches that lead to partition, lead to a two-state solution and act as a disincentive to the search for a solution. For us such a thing is unthinkable, the two-state solution has absolutely no place in our political vocabulary and I am adamant on this.”

Referring to his meeting with the UN Secretary General on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York, he said that apart from his personal involvement in the effort to break the deadlock and resume the talks from where they were interrupted, he found the same commitment from the five permanent members of the Security Council, during the working lunch with the Permanent Representatives of these countries, who said that the Cyprus problem is one of the few issues on which the five permanent members of the Security Council agree.

“It is clear that for everyone the framework for a solution is the agreed framework and what the UN resolutions and decisions define. There is no doubt about this. Now everyone recognizes our constructive approach and is focused on Turkey’s direction to resume talks on the basis of the agreed framework.”

“I am cautiously optimistic and I am going to New York on October 15 with the expectation that this meeting will be the first important step towards a meaningful resumption of talks. I do not know how [Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin] Tatar will act, whether he will express different positions from what he says publicly. I can assure you that our side will confidently, sincerely, reiterate our readiness to come to the negotiating table, to discuss all those issues on which there is a different approach between the two sides, but always within the agreed framework.”

Christodoulides said that 2024 has a dual symbolism: on the one hand, the 50th anniversary of the coup, the Turkish invasion and ongoing occupation; and on the other hand, the 20th anniversary of the accession to the European Union.

“These two calendar milestones define the context in which we live and the environment in which we conduct our politics. On the one hand, we have the tragedy of ’74, which is a dark reference point for our country and for which we are called upon to reverse the tragic consequences.

“On the other hand, our accession to the European Union is the bright milestone that leads to the better days that we owe to our country, we owe to our children, we owe to the new generation.”