Ozgurgun alleges that the Greek Cypriot side will lose its motivation for a solution after Cyprus’s EU term presidencyTurkish Cypriot daily Gunes (28.12.11) reports that Huseyin Ozgurgun, self-styled minister of foreign affairs of the breakaway regime, has alleged that the Greek Cypriot side will completely lose its motivation for a solution after the Republic of Cyprus overtakes the EU term presidency in July 2012.

 In statements to a private Turkish television, Ozgrugun argued that the efforts for a solution continue since the 1950’s, that the Greek Cypriot side implements the same policy for years and that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot “people” cannot tolerate any more the “games” of the Greek Cypriot side with the aim of continuing the non-solution.

Ozgurgun claimed that international powers exert efforts to dominate over Cyprus because the island is located at a very important place in the Eastern Mediterranean. He alleged that instead of search for a solution in a sincere manner, the Greek Cypriot side raised tension and harmed the negotiations process by “unilaterally and illegally” starting to look for natural gas and oil.

Ozgurgun reiterated the Turkish allegation that the Turkish occupation army brought peace in Cyprus in 1974 and argued that due to the geopolitical position of Cyprus, foreign powers try to gain rights over the island.

Responding to a question regarding their efforts for the recognition of the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, Ozgurgun argued that at the moment they are not concentrated on the recognition of the “TRNC”, but on finding an agreement based on bi-zonality and two founding states in the direction of the UN parameters with the continuation of Turkey’s active and effective guarantees.

Ozgrugun claimed that an agreement in the Cyprus problem is influenced by the interests of the foreign powers in the area, and this is one of the reasons of the long lasting non-solution on the island.

Ozgurgun alleged that hatred and enmity increase every day in the Greek Cypriot side and claimed that it does not seem possible to reach a solution “with a mentality which does not even tolerate” a volleyball team from Turkey to play a match in the government-controlled area of Cyprus.