AKEL: The measures for the Turkish Cypriot community are moving in the right direction

27 January 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The announcement of measures for the Turkish Cypriot community by the government is a move in the right direction, which AKEL welcomes. After all, AKEL has been proposing measures for the Turkish Cypriot community and bi-communal cooperation since last April.

The aim should be for these measures to help both to break the prolonged deadlock on the Cyprus problem and to resolve various issues concerning our relationship with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots. These measures are inextricably linked to the fact that Turkish Cypriots are an integral part of both the Republic of Cyprus and the future reunited federal Cyprus.

As regards the substance of the measures, we consider it positive that several of the measures are also related to our own proposal which we delivered in full to the President of the Republic last May. Some of them may provide solutions to long-standing problems. On the other hand, we note that some measures need further clarification, which we will ask for. Others were essentially a record of decisions that have already been taken.

At the same time, however, we note that measures relating to the cultivation of a culture of peaceful coexistence and rapprochement between the two communities were not included.

Most importantly, the measures announced relate to one of the four pillars of AKEL’s proposal in order for the negotiation procedure to resume with a realistic perspective of reaching a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem.

27.01.2024