As AKEL had anticipated, the Turkish President’s visit to the Greek capital ended without any substantial development in relation to the Cyprus problem.
The Greek Prime Minister raised the issue in its correct dimensions, stressing that the Cyprus problem is a problem of illegal invasion and occupation, pointing out that it is the two communities that must work for the procedure to be resumed. On his part, Mr. Erdogan claimed that it was the Greek Cypriot side that left the negotiations in Switzerland, accusing it of being evasive. Indeed, to back up his allegations, he made a reference to the presence of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries and declared that he was ready to provide documents and information.
The question that arises is where does the Turkish President’s ease to make such claims come from. Evidently, the fact that in the UN Secretary-General’s report Turkey’s stand in Crans Montana is praised with regards the issue of Security and Guarantee is being exploited to the maximum by Mr. Erdogan. This must be the subject of reflection and guide our side’s handlings in the future.
If Erdogan’s statements about a continuation of the procedure with the aim of reaching a solution are valid, we have to test Turkey in practice, something that wasn’t done in Crans Montana, either to agree on a solution or to expose Turkish intransigence.