The Greek Cypriot side has stepped up their provocations whilst serious efforts are being pursued to organise a five-plus-one informal meeting on the Cyprus issue.


The Greek Cypriot side is demanding that “the Guarantee of Turkey is ended and for the Turkish troops to leave Cyprus,” as well as stating that they will not accept sovereign equality which is one of our red lines. 


With the recent statement made by the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis  that the “demand of sovereign equality by the Turkish side will bring an end to the country,” they have once again shown that the mentality of the Greek Cypriot side has not changed, and never will.


It should be reiterated once again that our red lines are the Guarantee of Turkey, the physical presence of the Turkish army in Cyprus, our sovereignty and political equality which we can never abandon as abandoning these means going under the domination of the Greek Cypriots. 


Whilst negotiations have been continuing for a settlement in Cyprus for many years, these have ended in failure in Mont Pelerin and Crans Montana because of the mentality and intransigent stance of the Greek Cypriot side and it has become evident that a solution based on a federal model has been exhausted. Therefore,  we have put forward a solution model based on sovereign equality of two States that coexist side-by-side, enjoying equal rights, that is of benefit to Cyprus and the region. 


This settlement model is being supported by Turkey, which is the most powerful and the biggest country in the region.   Whilst a solution model based on sovereign equality has found support in the international arena, the Greek Cypriot side is knowingly and systematically making unacceptable demands and thus provoking an increase in tensions.


Our hope is for a settlement to be based on sovereign equality of two States. Our efforts for this objective will continue despite the provocations of the Greek Cypriot side.