If the Government Spokesman took even just one look at the UN Secretary General’s Reports, he wouldn’t claim that “the whole world knows that the President has been calling first and consistently for the resumption of negotiations for the last two years.”

Turkey is praised for its stance at Crans Montana and the Secretary-General considers both sides equally responsible for the collapse (at Crans Montana) and the protracted deadlock. That is why the Secretary General is calling on both sides to convince him that they have the political will for a resumption of negotiations.

The government ruling forces must understand that Turkey is exploiting the protracted deadlock, with itself relieved of responsibilities, to create new serious fait accompli on the Cyprus problem that are neither a distraction, nor communication tricks, as they were insisting.

The government ruling forces must at long last understand that what matters is the Secretary General to be convinced of both side’s intentions. The game played for internal consumption purposes by the government is of no importance whatsoever to the international community. That is precisely why AKEL reiterates that we must remain consistent to the effort for a resumption of negotiations on the basis of the agreed framework, the 2014 Declaration, the convergences reached and the Framework of the UN Secretary-General.

As for Turkey’s stand, AKEL, today too, denounced the provocative statements made by the Turkish Minister of Defense. We are certain that the government ruling forces saw our statement, but they pretend that AKEL supposedly doesn’t denounce Turkey’s provocation and aggression because they have been trying for some time to fabricate the myth that AKEL supposedly provides a pretext to Turkey. Their defense is to hide the mistakes, contradictions and failures of their own policy which give Turkey room to do what it does without significant cost internationally.

AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou replies to the Government Spokesman
The government must finally understand that what matters is the Secretary General to be convinced of both side’s intentions
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th September 2019, Nicosia