“There is no choice other than the negotiations” - TRNC Foreign Minister Özdil Nami

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami, stated that the international community is waiting for the conclusion of the Presidential elections due to be held on 19th of April, regarding the resumption of negotiations.

While assessing his overseas contacts to daily Kıbrıs Newspaper, Nami expressed that “The issue has not been shelved, a meeting between the leaders will take place this year and the negotiations will resume. There is no other choice.”

In his contacts during his UK visit, Özdil Nami stressed that topics such as the latest developments in the negotiations, the effects of the hydrocarbon issue on the talks and the expectations within the year 2015 were touched upon and said: “Here, two issues came forward. What is needed to be done for the Greek Cypriot Leader Anastasiades to return the negotiation table without setting preconditions. And meanwhile the steps which should be taken in order to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots”

Nami, asserted that in the UK, a great sense of understanding had developed towards the Turkish Cypriots and the need for more concrete steps to be taken for the lifting of the isolations had particularly been voiced by his British contacts.

“Both facts that the Greek Cypriot side has left the table and that the isolations continue to be imposed (on Turkish Cypriots) are unacceptable have begun to be more frequently mentioned here” said the Foreign Minister and continued:

“I suppose Anastasiades’ leaving the negotiation table created a positive ground here for us to further our arguments on this issue. Until now, we were always told ‘the negotiations are about to be finalized therefore we do not want to take an action that would upset anyone’. However now, due to the lack of that expectation along with the fact that we are at this point because of the Greek Cypriot leadership’s withdrawal from the negotiation table, has given way for the widespread understanding that ‘the Turkish Cypriots should not have to pay the price for this’.

Nami underlined the importance of a common solution where the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots will feel comfortable and which will benefit the producers on both sides and added that “making this an issue of sovereignty makes the situation more difficult.”

[Source]