Cyprus Talks: Leaders express disappointment over direction of talks

Greek Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot president, Mustafa Akinci meet for more than 5 hours on Wednesday as they continued negotiations talks aimed at reunifying the divided Cyprus island with the meeting ending without a clear direction, reports the Cyprus Mail.


Following the meeting, Anastasiades told reporters that the UN Special Adviser to Cyprus,  Espen Barth Eide would in the next 24 hours meet both sides separately to determine where the talks is heading to and whether there were prospects for another meeting that would lead to results.

“We have actually submitted a constructive proposal that could lead us into a substantial dialogue and a desired outcome but the Turkish Cypriot side has raised objections,” said Anastasiades.

“There was disagreement. And the special adviser undertook the task to have deliberations during the next days with the two parties to see whether there are prospects for a substantive and creative meeting, which will lead us to the desired result.”

He also noted that the “usefulness” of a new Cyprus conference in Geneva was discussed at length, as were the conditions which would bring that about. 

Meanwhile Turkish Cypriot president, Akinci said he had proposed a Geneva conference in June in order to make progress before exploratory drilling starts in the South later in July.

“We all know the danger that awaits us in July…If we were able to obtain a date in June, we could have focused on that in today’s meeting… But no such agreement was possible,” said Akinci.

According to him, “unilateral” drilling will only bring more tension to the region.

“I am having trouble understanding the Greek Cypriot leader, his approach is different. He says that he made constructive and positive proposals. There was no such thing,” said Akinci.

“If the Greek Cypriot leader does not change his approach then neither I nor the leaders after me will be able to conduct negotiations in this atmosphere,” he added.