Ozersay visits Moscow

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (27.07.11) reports that Kudret Ozersay, special representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader, is visiting Moscow after an invitation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. In statements to Kibris, Ozersay said that his visit to Moscow is “extremely important for the Turkish Cypriot side in the context of finding a lasting and viable solution in Cyprus”.

Ozersay argued, inter alia, the following:

“For many years the Russian Federation has been considered as a big player who was supporting the positions of the Greek Cypriot side and helped the Greek Cypriot side. This assessment might be correct, but this does not mean that we should ignore Russia, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. On the contrary, we have to courageously and in detail convey our grievance, what we are trying to do, our positions and their justifications to the high ranking officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, which is a very important player in the international politics. If by saying, ‘this country is against us, it is not possible to understand us’, we close the doors which we anyway could open very difficultly, this will be harmful for the Turkish Cypriot people. If we remain passive, if we do not undertake initiative, we will become victims of the wry impressions which have wrongfully been created about us?The Turkish Cypriot side has representation offices only in some places of the world. Therefore, the Turkish Cypriot side exerts efforts to explain itself to its interlocutors by undertaking initiatives through this kind of meetings?We want from the Russian Federation to support a solution mutually accepted on which both sides will agree. In spite of the wrong image created by the Greek Cypriot side, the solution we are searching for is not an imposed solution. It is a solution upon which agreement is achieved”.

The paper writes that the timing of this initiative of the Russian Federation is worthy of attention. Kibris points out that at the same time President Christofias is holding contacts in France.