President Nikos Christodoulides has stated his office is not open to discussions about Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s “3A” demands ahead of a meeting in New York.
The Greek Cypriot side is prepared to present its position whilst making it clear it will not entertain probes regarding its red lines, Christodoulides said.
He expressed hope the upcoming meeting would yield positive results, noting this is the sole objective of the Greek Cypriot side, which also has its own proposals to put forward.
Responding to journalists’ queries at the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit in Nicosia, Christodoulides denied any attempts to gauge flexibility on Greek Cypriot ‘red lines’ to unblock the process and move closer to Tatar’s demands for direct flights, trade, and contacts.
“No, we have not been probed, and we are not offering ourselves for such probing,” the president stated.
Christodoulides revealed that the negotiator, after consultation with him, would convene the Political Group on the Cyprus Problem on Friday for an exchange of views, following discussions at the National Council.
The president emphasised the importance of his upcoming meeting with the British Prime Minister before the UN talks, highlighting its significance for bilateral relations and the Cyprus issue.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar reiterated his stance on a two-state solution. According to the “Gunes” newspaper, Tatar insisted that the Turkish Cypriot people would not be subdued by restrictions such as bans on direct flights, trade, and contacts, as well as sports embargoes.
Tatar called for the lifting of “embargoes” against Turkish Cypriots, stating that they are currently pursuing a “two-state” policy, which he claims means “the Turkish state in the north is an independent and sovereign state”.
The “Dialog” newspaper reported that Tatar also participated in the inauguration ceremony of the “Cyprus Peace Operations Park” organised by the Municipality of Keçiören in Ankara, where he described the events of July 20 1974 as a turning point for the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle for independence and freedom.
