Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has expressed hope that there will be a response from the Turkish Cypriot side that will constitute a change to the positions expressed on Saturday by the Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu during his illegal visit to the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus.

Speaking during a memorial service for the heroes of the Omorfita fightings, President Anastasiades called on the UN and the states which say that they want a Cyprus settlement to turn their attention to the Turkish side which questions the UN resolutions and decisions as well as existing agreements, and wants to undermine what is non-negotiable for every citizen, the matter of sovereignty.

“We hoped that there would be signs of hope but I regret to say that what has been broadcasted by the media (on Davutoglu’s statements) does not leave any room for us to exhaust even more our patience and good will,” he noted.

He noted that under the circumstances “no one can expect us to engage into a dialogue that will just allow time to pass by, and in this way serve Eroglu’s position that as time passes by they (the Turkish side) will proceed with implementing a plan b”.

The President stressed that with unity among the political parties and with the support of Greece, as well as based on the UN and the EU law, values and principles “we struggle to create the conditions that will allow us to begin a dialogue which will offer prospects and hope and reunite our country” so that there will be no occupation troops and we will be allowed as European citizens to work and live together peacefully.

Anastasiades underlined that “we struggle for a settlement that will terminate the occupation, the illegal settling, and the presence of foreign troops in Cyprus”, adding that the solution of the Cyprus problem must “restore and safeguard the inalienable human rights and basic freedoms of all Cypriots.”

“The settlement must be functional and viable, reunite the people, the country, the institutions and the economy,” he added.

He stressed that the Greek Cypriot side does not want to play the blame game. We are not interested in who will bear the responsibility of a deadlock that will keep our country divided, he added.

“We are interested in not having a deadlock, in concluding a settlement, in reuniting our common homeland,” he added, adding that the settlement must safeguard European principles and norms, and establish stability in Cyprus and the region.

For this reason, he added, “we insist that  the basic principles for a Cyprus settlement must be made clear in an explicit and indisputable way before we get engaged into a dialogue  and discuss for the reunification of the country, instead of negotiating for a divorce.”

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Previous UN – led efforts to reunify the island under a federal roof have failed. A renewed effort begun in September this year, with meetings between the two negotiators of the two sides as well as a meeting between the leaders of the two communities, with the aim to finalize a joint  declaration that would pave the way for the Cyprus talks to resume.