Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (22.12.15) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, in a meeting yesterday with the “association of martyrs families and war veterans”, stressed that the important thing is to reach a settlement where both sides will see justice and will be able to say “we can live with this”. He noted that freedom, equality and security are important and added: “The Turkish Cypriot people see their security in Turkey’s guarantees, if there is not Turkey, they don’t see it as a real guarantee. My duty considering that I represent the Turkish Cypriot people and I am their voice, is to explain to all interlocutors, not only to the South (translator’s note: the Greek Cypriot side), but also to the people who visit me, this Turkish Cypriots’ feeling and to form such a frame where the Turkish Cypriot will feel Turkey’s security, but this security should not be perceived as a threat for the other side. Is it possible to do this? It is possible. As long as there is a will, determination and understanding, it is possible to find the way for this.”

Akinci further said that until to reach that day, especially the bizonality and the political equality should be sorted out and added: “We covered a distance, but it did not finish. There are more paths that we will walk in front of us and let us constitute the other important principles of this agreement. Besides, Turkey has also a saying in the guarantees, when that day comes, we will discuss it in a five-party conference. The Greek Cypriot side, the Turkish Cypriot side and the three guarantor countries will altogether evaluate these”.