“We will not accept what the ‘Turkish Cypriot federation’ is trying to do,” he said. Furthermore, he recalled the agreement signed in 2013 in Zurich, which is is in effect, as he noted, until the Cyprus problem is resolved.
“They would have been justified if this agreement had not been in place. I have made the necessary arrangements and I will have meetings in the next few days in Paris where the UEFA Congress will be held to put an end to what the Turkish Cypriots are trying to do,” he added.
According to the CFA, Koumas, responding to a question about the actions of the “Turkish Cypriot federation”, said that this was not the first time that they acted in this way
“Once again the ‘Turkish Cypriot federation’ is trying to get closer to UEFA and FIFA. We, in 2013, signed an agreement with the Turkish Cypriots which, on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot side, was signed by the ‘president’ who is still there today. The doors of the football authority of Cyprus in its whole are open to Turkish Cypriots,” he added.
He stated that the agreement is there “and anything else is not acceptable for us”.
“This agreement will be in force until the solution of the Cyprus problem. As a Federation we will react. Tomorrow, I will be in Paris for the UEFA Congress, the Nations League draw and the UEFA Executive Committee meeting and I will have the meetings I need to have to put an end to what the Turkish Cypriots are trying to do,” he said.
They would, he continued, be justified if the agreement was not in place. “The agreement is clear and we as the competent authority recognised by FIFA and UEFA will not accept what the ‘Turkish Cypriot federation’ is trying to do,” he noted and stressed that ” as a Federation we will be there to not allow any change in the status of football in Cyprus.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
