Nikos Anastasiades left open the possibility of vetoing Turkey’s positive agenda and adopting new sanctions against it, noting that “there are, unfortunately, interests above the values in Europe as well”.
Speaking to euronews immediately after his meeting with the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis at Maximos Palace, South Cyprus President Anastasiades did not hesitate to harshly criticise both the United Kingdom and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar. As he said characteristically, the ideas that are considered to be bridged satisfy what Turkey is gradually pursuing.”
Regarding Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposal for a new informal meeting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides, Mr. Anastasiades said that this would be apparent in September when he would meet Mr. Guterres. He stressed, however, that “the Secretary-General should not be looking for common ground, because it already exists and it is the United Nations resolutions”, sending the message that is as far as the terms of his mandate go. He also stressed that he is ready to start a dialogue from where he left off in Cran Medan in 2017.
Here is the full interview of Nikos Anastasiades at euronews and Efi Koutsokosta:
euronews: Mr President thank you very much for being with us at euronews. Of course I would like to start with the meeting you had with the Greek Prime Minister a while ago and especially a week after the new developments in Varosia. Would you like to tell us a little bit what your next steps are and what the new strategy, if any, is for cyprus from now on?
Nikos Anastasiades: There has always been a strategy for the Cyprus issue, but what I want to stress is that today’s meeting was a lifelong contact, because we were constantly in communication with the Prime Minister, as were the foreign ministers of the two countries. As a result of this excellent cooperation and coordination, the results were also the results of the statement by the President of the Security Council, as well as today’s announcement by the High Representative of the European Union.
euronews: We have heard this statement, which once again naturally condemns the movements of Turkey and the Turkish President and naturally calls for this mobility and these actions, Turkey’s illegal and unilateral actions in the enclosed city of Famagusta to be reversed. However, we have not seen any further action, i.e. there have been some leaks about an extraordinary council of foreign ministers, we have not seen it, we have not seen anything said about sanctions. Are you satisfied with this European reaction?
Nikos Anastasiades: Look. Theoretical solidarity is, on the one hand, a positive message, on the other hand, if it is not accompanied by practical measures, you realize that it remains, like many others, like a declaration of intent to no avail. That is exactly what we discussed with the Prime Minister. To see how it is possible to activate, not only the European Union, which is absolutely our family and absolutely necessary to move, but also through the international relations that we have developed, to see how we can effectively deal with this Turkish aggression and the revisionist attitude that Turkey is following.
euronews: Right now to take it a little in turn, Erdogan went to Varosia. He announced that he would open 3.5% of the enclosed city and of course it is like consolidating in some way his new perception and approach of the Cypriot. How can you reverse that? So, what are the moves you can finally make? Are there such or are you caught up in a Turkish aggression that is proceeding without the possibility of a reaction?
Nikos Anastasiades: It is not a question of entrapment. It is not only against Cyprus that the same illegal actions are observed in Greece in the Aegean, but also towards Libya. We had the same with Syria, with Iraq, with Nagorno Karabakh. It is a mentality which now goes beyond the framework of the United Nations, international law in general. All of this will at some point count, the behaviors. What we believe could contribute to the reversal and reversal of the data is that the dialogue on a solution to the Cyprus problem should finally be resumed. That would be the most effective. The problem is, what is the solution we are seeking? We always within the framework of the United Nations are seeking a bi-zoning, bi-community federation, just as the United Nations resolutions, the Security Council resolutions, the terms of reference of the Secretary-General are defined, as opposed again to the new proposal for a solution on the basis of two independent states. Which should be said to be Turkey’s timeless position. Covertly it was not projected, now they have disintegrated and are claiming sovereignty over a formation that is subserve and a creation of Turkey.
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euronews: However, Mrs Spehar at the UN Security Council reportedly spoke of resolutions that should not be restrictive, in order to find any common ground between the two sides.
Nikos Anastasiades: It is not by chance that Mr Erdogan will be dethrased, because there are precisely some who have the impression that they may even translate the resolutions, the purity if you like more correctly, of the resolutions of the United Nations. Such interpretations or similar efforts, which are not only by Mrs Spehar, but are submitted by a particular country in order to find a compromise, do not help.
euronews: Are you talking about Britain’s attitude?
Nikos Anastasiades: Yes I will not hide it. Ideas which are considered to be bridged, but which in essence gradually satisfy what Turkey is seeking. As a result, instead of limiting arbitrariness, they increase revisionism, aggression, and, more generally, illegal actions.
euronews: Nevertheless we see that 47 years after Turkey’s illegal invasion of Cyprus, and of course we see the Turkish president, making them a proposal to claim their reparations, their property, under Turkish Cypriot administration.
Nikos Anastasiades: It is not because they have not succeeded or because the Cypriot governments (ss have not succeeded). There have, of course, been cases where it has been given with proposals from the United Nations, but the treaties were such that they did not allow it. I’m not going to make a reference to the past. What matters is that the status of Famagusta was determined by the United Nations. You can’t change behaviors because it’s time to implement planning. The efforts were with the solution of the Cyprus problem, one of the most important negotiating advantages of the Turkish side, was the performance of Famagusta, as the United Nations resolutions provide, that it should be under the administration of the United Nations, in order to allow legal residents to return under the administration of the United Nations. So where we need to focus our attention is not on whether the Cypriot governments, the occasional governments, or the Varosios have not been able to return. desire…
euronews: It didn’t happen.
Nikos Anastasiades: It did not happen, because it did not, because of Turkish intransigence.
euronews: And they’re in danger of losing them forever right now.
Nikos Anastasiades: I do not believe that this lawlessness will achieve the objectives that Turkey has set. I want to hope, I want to believe that, through actions, through actions, through the intense injustice caused by Turkey’s behaviour, there will be reactions to the return of the law.
euronews: When you return to Brussels, will you ask for sanctions once again against Turkey?
Nikos Anastasiades: Not to say words, we will see how Turkey behaves and of course nothing is excluded. Anything that grants the right to the Republic of Cyprus and of course to the Hellenic Republic, which will cause costs, whether that is a veto on the positive agenda, or these are measures that should be adopted on the part of Europe, but I repeat we have to be quite careful, because in Europe too unfortunately there are above principles and values interests.
euronews: Realistically, do you see a new informal meeting as described by the Secretary-General?
Nikos Anastasiades: This will be revealed in September when we have a meeting with the Secretary General.
euronews: If you are called will you go? After this move by Turkey?
Nikos Anastasiades: My position to the Secretary-General is that we do not have to look for common ground. Common ground exists and is described through United Nations resolutions and the terms of service itself. Therefore, what I am ready and willing and determined to do is to participate in a dialogue from where it was interrupted in Cran Mentan.
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euronews: And I want one last question because you mentioned Cran Medan. Do you regret today, it’s been four years already, for your attitude or for leaving Cran Medan?
Nikos Anastasiades: I never left Cran Modos. Anyone who reads the Secretary-General’s report will find, on the contrary, that in Cran Mon was also the result of the proposals we had put forward, it had improved considerably and we had almost reached agreement on the strategic issues relating to internal governance. On the contrary, where intransigence was observed was turkey’s obsession. And that was the reason for the failure. Continue the guarantees, or stay permanently troops from Turkey and establish a military base. So what is said, the narratives of Anastasiades’ flight. The Secretary-General himself, through the impasse that has been created, has insisted on Mr Tsavousoglou saying that he insists on guarantees, with review, not as a set clause. And that’s very important. The review means the two sides agree. When would Turkey agree to the abolition of guarantees? never! What we have insisted on is an end to the timetable that would be put in place if and when the guarantees would be maintained for some time. Just like for the troops.
