Presidential Special Representative, M. Ergün Olgun’s statement following his meeting with UN Senior Official, Jane Holl Lute
Following the meeting between President Ersin Tatar and UN Senior Official Jane Holl Lute yesterday, the meeting continued today and was held in a ‘positive atmosphere’.
Issues taken up with Ms Lute related to the logistical arrangements and other details in relation to the planned three-day long, five-plus-UN informal meeting.
As reaffirmed in the invitation letter of the UN Secretary General, the informal meeting for the five-plus-UN is to determine whether a common ground can or cannot be found for the purpose of ascertaining if commencement of formal negotiations is viable. At this informal meeting, there will be no discussions on the substance of the Cyprus issue.
I explained to Ms Lute that rather than dwelling on basis which proved a failure over many years, there is a need for constructive ideas outside the box in order to overcome the existing impasse which is what the Turkish Cypriot side is preparing.
I expressed clearly to Ms Lute, that the reason why a solution to the Cyprus issue could not be found for more than half a century is due to the hegemonic aspiration of the Greek Cypriot side, and that the previous processes, which have all been carried out on the same old basis, repeatedly failed to yield a settlement, becausethe old basis is not appropriate for the real conditions of Cyprus. This having become evident, the Turkish Cypriot side is not prepared to entertain the old unsuccessful basis any longer.
I also again conveyed to the UN Senior Official, that it would not be possible for the EU to participate in the meeting as EU is in solidarity with South Cyprus which is an EU member and consequently EU will not be impartial or put forward a balanced stance at the five-plus-UN informal meeting.
When regional factors and tensions in the eastern Mediterranean are considered,we believe that there is an utmost need for there to be sovereign equality of two States that enjoy a cooperative relationship on the island of Cyprus. I relayed to Ms Lute our belief which is that having a state on one side with the other side in an isolated status will not contribute to the desired peace and stability and that the desired stability, peace and cooperation on our island and in the region can only be reached when the two sides are treated on an equal footing.
As reaffirmed in the invitation letter of the UN Secretary General, the informal meeting for the five-plus-UN is to determine whether a common ground can or cannot be found for the purpose of ascertaining if commencement of formal negotiations is viable. At this informal meeting, there will be no discussions on the substance of the Cyprus issue.
I explained to Ms Lute that rather than dwelling on basis which proved a failure over many years, there is a need for constructive ideas outside the box in order to overcome the existing impasse which is what the Turkish Cypriot side is preparing.
I expressed clearly to Ms Lute, that the reason why a solution to the Cyprus issue could not be found for more than half a century is due to the hegemonic aspiration of the Greek Cypriot side, and that the previous processes, which have all been carried out on the same old basis, repeatedly failed to yield a settlement, becausethe old basis is not appropriate for the real conditions of Cyprus. This having become evident, the Turkish Cypriot side is not prepared to entertain the old unsuccessful basis any longer.
I also again conveyed to the UN Senior Official, that it would not be possible for the EU to participate in the meeting as EU is in solidarity with South Cyprus which is an EU member and consequently EU will not be impartial or put forward a balanced stance at the five-plus-UN informal meeting.
When regional factors and tensions in the eastern Mediterranean are considered,we believe that there is an utmost need for there to be sovereign equality of two States that enjoy a cooperative relationship on the island of Cyprus. I relayed to Ms Lute our belief which is that having a state on one side with the other side in an isolated status will not contribute to the desired peace and stability and that the desired stability, peace and cooperation on our island and in the region can only be reached when the two sides are treated on an equal footing.