Talks on Cyprus no. 2 - Roundtable Discussion with Andros Kyprianou

GPoT Center hosted Mr. Andros Kyprianou, the Secretary General of the Progressive Party for the Working People (AKEL) of Cyprus. The event, co-financed by the Open Society Foundation in Turkey, took place on the premises of Istanbul Kültür University on January 20, 2014.

In his speech, Mr. Kyprianou addressed the current state of affairs in Cyprus, and shared the prospects of a lasting settlement with the participating media representatives, academics, and experts from the civil society. The transcript of his intervention is available to download here.

Evaluating the gains to be brought by the resolution of the Cyprus problem, Mr. Kyprianou said that it would not only be the Cypriots but also Turkey, who would benefit.

Despite the current delay in the expected resumption of the UN-sponsored talks, AKEL sees the hydrocarbon reserves as a serious incentive for the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots to come to the negotiating table and work towards a solution. However, he added that the long-term success of explorations of natural resources would depend, among other things, on the political stability on the island.

When giving a short overview of the Cyprus talks conducted up to date under the auspices of the UN, Mr. Kyprianou explained the reasons which had led the Greek Cypriots to reject the Annan Plan in 2004. He pointed out that the Greek Cypriots had found the proposed solution one-sided and short of satisfying their reasonable concerns.

Concluding his speech, Mr. Kyprianou underlined that fully-fledged negotiations aiming to achieve a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus would unquestionably serve not only the two communities on the island, but also Greece, Turkey, the European Union, and the wider region.