Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing the ceremony in northern Nicosia to mark the 34th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, said that a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem will be possible within the framework of the realities existing on the island and with a new partnership where the Turkish Cypriots and the TRNC will participate as founder and equal. "This new partnership will be established on indispensable principles such as bi-zonality, political equality and the effective guarantees of Turkey", he said, underlining that "absolutely no one should expect the Turkish Cypriot people to give up the equal status and equal partnership under their own administration and accept to live as a minority".
The other side , he said, has to accept that the solution will be reached by establishing a new partnership between two equal peoples and to give up trying to find new interlocutors and divert attention. Everybody should now understand that the efforts of south Cyprus to take the Turkish Cypriot people under their domination and to expand its sovereignty over the north of the island is in vain.
"It is not possible to impose a solution that will not be acceptable for the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. It will never be possible. Everybody should understand this as soon as possible", he said .
Mr Erdogan said that the Turkish invasion had prevented the “genocide” of the Turkish Cypriots and showed the world the determination of the “motherland to protect the Turks of Cyprus forever”. “It is the guarantee that we will not permit the days of sorrow which existed before 1974 to be repeated again”, he added and stressed that Turkey will always be by their side.
He said Turkey's stand on the 24 April 2004 referendum, showed the Turkish side’s support for reconciliation and added that Turkey considers the meetings between the two leaders in Cyprus and the fact that they have reached an understanding as a positive step.
On his part, Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat said that after 20 July 1974, the Turkish Cypriots took important steps towards their economic development which could not be compared with the past and created the infrastructure for governing themselves. “We want to keep what we have gained and integrate with the world ", he said . "That is why we want to sign an honorable and respected agreement with the Greek Cypriot people, with whom we are forced to share the island". He outlined his vision for a solution as the establishment of a new partnership by two founding states with equal status and political equality of the two peoples on the basis of bi-zonality with the continuation of the guarantee of Turkey. The Turkish Cypriot people, using their fundamental rights, aim at a solution which will be confirming their equal partnership in sovereignty. It is out of the question for us to be patched up to the Greek Cypriot sovereignty or to leave the sovereignty to the Greek Cypriots”, he said . He went on: “We do not consider the statements of the Greek Cypriot leadership that the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the island will help the solution of the problem to be compatible with good will. ...The existence of the Turkish army on the island is not the reason of the problem, but it is the result of it. It is out of the question to remove the result before removing the reason. ...What we expect from the Greek Cypriots is to stop seeing Cyprus as an island belonging only to the Greeks and share equally the wealth of this beautiful island with us and share equally the power”.
Moreover, speaking speaking after a meeting between Turkish and Turkish Cypriot delegations Talat said that the presence of Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his delegation is the best sign of Turkey's support. “Turkey is unconditionally by our side. We know that the support of Turkey will be always by our side. It is a very big guarantee for us to know that Turkey is by our side during this process”, he said.” In his statements Mr Erdogan said that they are exerting efforts for a just and lasting solution in Cyprus and added: “We are pleased with the efforts of the two leaders. We expect the leaders to agree on the start of comprehensive negotiations under the UN umbrella, based on the realities existing on the island and within the framework of the good will mission of the UN Secretary - General”. He added that the solution must be based on equality, two founding states and a new partnership relation. He especially underlined that the solution will be reached between “two equal peoples”. "If there is consensus on these, the rest is detail" , he said. He said that the Turkish government will continue to support the Turkish Cypriots irrespective of who is in power in Ankara.
Meanwhile in the south, Politis says that with a number of speeches these last few days, President Christofias is preparing the people to accept a solution.
In an exclusive interview to CyBC last night, President Christofias outlined his vision of a united Cyprus, a federation where the Greek Cypriots would be partners with the Turkish Cypriots.
He said the solution will be a presidential system, with a rotating president with the G/C president serving longer, a vice president and council of ministers. The central government would have one sovereignty, one nationality and one international personality. He said political equality was the basis of the solution and entails the effective participation of the two communities in government. The constituent states would not be ethnically clean in order to allow as many refugees to return, they would have the same powers but would not supercede the federal constitution. There would be a single economy. He said he would fight hard at the negotiating table for the demilitarisation of the island, the abolition of the guarantees, the reduction of the number of settlers and the right for refugees to return and to own their property. He said he did not expect this time there would be any arbitration on the part of the UN as he had been assured by the UNSG that the solution would be worked out by the Cypriots for the Cypriots. He said that past governments had failed to explain to the people exactly what a federation meant.
He acknowledged that Mr Talat had the good will to find a solution and that he had realised that this was the only way to avoid partition. He stressed that while their relations had been very friendly, their meetings had been tough. Nevertheless he said that he was going forward cautiously optimistic that they would reach an agreement and hinted that on 25 July he and Talat would be announcing the start of direct talks. He stressed that the crisis in Turkey should not discourage the two sides from proceeding.
He said the reason why no solution had been found so far can be blamed on too much patriotism in certain political circles. But he stressed we must all decide now if we want one or two states in Cyprus. He warned those who disagreed that while they are free to have their opinion at the end of the day he was the one who would take the final decisions.
Concluding he said that the solution would be a compromise, painful but nevertheless, a compromise.
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