Akinci met with Biden and Steinmeier in New York; How he comments on President Anastasiades address at the UN General Assembly

Under the title “He asked for support for the solution”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.09.16) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci held separate meetings yesterday in New York with US Vice President, Jo Biden and German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Speaking to the press after the meetings, Akinci stated that the solution to be reached in Cyprus should be supported with an international effort and therefore he discussed the issue of financing the solution during his meetings. Akinci reiterated the target of reaching a solution by the end of 2016 and argued that everyone realizes the risks which exist in 2017.

Referring to his meeting with the German Foreign Minister, Akinci said that he briefed him on the developments in Cyprus and listened to his views, pointing out that Germany is an EU member state which is interested in the negotiating process in Cyprus. Akinci recalled that he had visited Germany upon Steinmeier’s invitation and that they held a meeting in Cyprus as well.

Noting that his meeting with Biden was planned to last for half an hour but lasted for more than one and a half hours, Akinci described the meeting as “very comprehensive and useful” adding that “America’s interest [in Cyprus] continues at the highest level”. He argued that the US knows the contribution of the Turkish Cypriot side to the negotiating process and said that they held a very useful meeting during which they “understood each other”.

Pointing out that the US interest continues because the Americans realize the importance of the procedure by the end of the year, Akinci reiterated that elections will be held in the USA and the UNSG will change in the end of the year and “everyone understands the risks which exist in 2017”. “For this reason both sides underlined how important the 2016 target is. We are extremely satisfied with these contacts”, he noted.

Recalling that he will hold a meeting with the UNSG within the forthcoming days, he expressed the hope that his meetings in New York will significantly contribute to the process and wished for these efforts to constitute a stage which “will lead us to the final target”.

Asked to comment on President Anastasiades’ address at the UN General Assembly, Akinci alleged that in parallel to some positive points as regards Cyprus, there were also some “wrong assessments”. When asked which mistakes were they, he replied: “We do not need to enter into details. However, there are some parts in which we saw that some agreements we achieved were not correctly mentioned”.

Replying to a question as to whether he discussed the cost of the solution during his meetings, Akinci noted that the issue came onto the agenda during his meetings with the UNSG’s special advisor for Cyprus, the US Vice President and the German Foreign Minister and added that the issue will be discussed during his meetings with the UNSG. Noting that the economic aspect of the solution is always on the agenda, Akinci said that the solution should be supported by an international effort and this is why they always try to attract the interest of the officials with whom they meet. “They anyway exhibit interest”, he concluded.

(I/Ts.)