Press Releases

Following the recent statement by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Akinci, that he accepts the framework of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Guterres, as a strategic agreement, I wish to state the following:

1. If Mr Akinci accepts the framework of Mr Guterres, as it was presented to the sides on 4 July 2017, this is a positive development.
2. What should be clarified by Mr Akinci, but primarily by Turkey, is whether they accept the following provisions of the framework:

(a)      Regarding the issue of Security and Guarantees, on which the UNSG framework says: “We have to recognise that what we need is a new security regime, not the continuation of the old. We need the end of the unilateral right of intervention and the end of the Treaty of Guarantee as they are not sustainable. The current situation will be replaced by a solid system of assurances where the whole of Cyprus and all Cypriots of both communities will feel secure and by robust implementation and oversight mechanisms that will include an outside element (international dimension: UN, multilateral / International / friendly countries). Current guarantors cannot implement and monitor themselves”.

(b)      Regarding the issue of foreign troops, on which the UNSG framework says: “There should be a rapid reduction (of foreign troops) from Day 1 to a low level and then to numbers equivalent to those of the old Treaty of Alliance. In relation to sunset clause versus review clause for the complete withdrawal of the remaining troops, this is something to be discussed at the highest level, with the participation of the three Prime Ministers of the guarantor powers”. 

3. I deem the stated acceptance of the UNSG’s strategic framework to be a positive development because, as it is well known, the reason for the failure of the Conference on Cyprus at Crans-Montana was that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots opposed the above provisions of the framework.

If these parties no longer insist on the positions they put forward at the Conference on Cyprus, despite their numerous statements to the contrary following the Crans-Montana Conference, then the necessary conditions for the immediate resumption of the dialogue, which I have repeatedly called for, are there.

4. I wish to remind that the Greek Cypriot side submitted on 5 and 6 July 2017, based on the framework of the UN Secretary-General of 4 July 2017, comprehensive proposals in writing for each and every tenet of Mr Guterres’ six point package, something which Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side failed to do, insisting instead on their original proposals which are in stark contrast to the Guterres framework, leading to the failure of the process.

5.Yesterday, we were informed of the intention of the Secretary-General to dispatch an envoy in order to explore, through consultations with the parties, the prospect of resuming the negotiating process. The Greek Cypriot side gave its positive response immediately upon my instructions.

I call on both Turkey and Mr Akinci to clarify whether they accept the provisions of the UNSG framework, in order not only to avoid misinterpretations or sensationalist moves,  but also for the UN Secretary General to have a clear picture if the necessary conditions that will allow the resumption of the dialogue are in place.

(RM/ML/II)