The assurance that he will do everything humanly possible to meet the expectations of the people, was given by the President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis on Saturday night, adding that the return of Famagusta to its legal inhabitants would be a sign of good will of Turkey .
He also said that it is an "insult" by some to believe that the President of the Republic of Cyprus is ready to accept the two-state solution.
He also noted that there were concessions from the Greek Cypriot side, and pointed out that the Turkish Cypriots must respect the sense of security that Greek Cypriots must have.
In his speech at the anti-occupation event of the Municipality of Famagusta, at the Cultural Center of occupied Famagusta in Deryneia, the President reaffirmed with "so many generations of Famagusta, our strong will - to continue to claim until final acquittal and acquittal of our homeland ".
At the same time, he pointed out, the return of Famagusta would be a move that might "facilitate, change the climate and build real feelings of trust between the communities."
Saying that "what we are watching is absurd", he noted that Famagusta is "a ghost town, not inhabited by Turkish Cypriots, not used for supposedly residential needs, but kept as a bargaining chip" with the international community unfortunately watching apathetically despite resolutions.
The President said that the return of Famagusta "was set not once but many times, as a measure of real confidence building, a measure that would create and completely change the prevailing climate" and wondered "who do not allow the return of the people of Famagusta, the Turkish Cypriots or the Turkish army? Who will not allow the opening of the Deryneia roadblock? "Our negligence or our obsession to exist and to be present and to maintain a Turkish outpost"?
Everyone, he said, should be concerned about where the real problem is, and he wondered "why so many Presidents, always with the will and determination to resolve the Cyprus problem failed. Where was the impossibility of finding a solution? Why didn't we want the solution? Why did the Greek Cypriots, who were the victims of the invasion, not want the return of the refugees, the recovery of property, the guarantee of human rights "?
"We gave a whole struggle and we have sacrificed as a people to join Europe, not because it was a praise or a whim" but because "we knew that entering Europe created the conditions for the solution of the Cyprus problem, by implementing the acquis, to protect no only the Greek Cypriots but also our Turkish Cypriot compatriots ".
He also noted that this is what we have tried to convey, to convey and to convince some that they need to understand that "if we want to survive, coexist and co-create peacefully, what is needed is mutual respect. It is the new regime of things that is nothing more than the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus on the basis of the Summit Agreements, on the basis of the resolutions, on the basis of what has been the dialogue for as many years as possible ".
However, he continued, "in order for this to be achieved and for the state to be, first and foremost functional, in order not to collapse the next day, to be sustainable, to be able to create the preconditions, we finally need to become independent , to abandon the links that have created the problems. "It does not mean that a modern European state, an independent country, a member of the European Union, needs to be guaranteed by a third country."
At the same time, he wondered "when will we finally understand and our Turkish Cypriot compatriots in particular will understand that if we Cypriots do not manage to find a way that will lead us to the solution, do not expect that the one who claims to protect them will do so." "What Turkey is protecting is its own interests."
Turkey, he continued, "is not the Turkish Cypriots who care to protect, but to serve its own strategic interests." Item 10, he said, which has been licensed to ExxonMobil, based on Turkish allegations, did not immediately belong to the Cyprus EEZ and was donated to the then government of the Muslim Brotherhood. He called on our compatriots to reflect on what a third country is seeking "and to come closer".
After stating that he gave "written samples for his determination, will and readiness" to negotiate and reach a solution to the Cyprus problem, the President noted that "in difficult times I stood and led, regardless of political cost, in order to accept a proposal of the United States. The people, with all the rights that distinguish them, decided differently "and added that" the decision of the people, of the political leaderships, of those who had a different perception is absolutely respected ".
However, he said, "I do not accept and consider it an insult by some to believe that the President of the Republic of Cyprus is ready to accept the two-state solution. That he is not ready to take those actions in order to achieve a solution to our problem "and added that this" saddens him sincerely, because they know very well that I did and am doing what is humanly possible, but I am not ready to proceed to any solution, just to satisfy some that we are working for a solution ".
"We must keep in mind, both we and our European partners, as well as the international forces, that there can be no prospect of a lasting solution when the demands of the Turkish Cypriot side or Turkey are such that they will not allow its functionality, that will not allow the autonomy of the Cypriots to be able to manage their fortunes, that will not allow the feeling of security, that will not allow the feeling of injustice to be overturned by the possession of our property ".
As the President of the Republic said "it will not be viable a state that will be original, that will be a new model of governance with all that implies the demands from Turkey, that is, the continuation of guarantees with the right of revision after 15 or ten years". The review is not the end, he said, adding that "it requires the consent and consent of the one with whom it has been contracted, in the presence of the Turkish army."
He even wondered whether "Turkish Cypriots need the presence of an army to be considered safe, when so many other methods are offered, either because they are provided for in the UN Charter or in the Treaty on European Union." We are ready with full respect for our compatriots to make and concessions were made, but at the same time they themselves must respect this sense of justice, the sense of security that the Greek Cypriots must have ".
It is not possible, he stressed, "to consider that Turkey's claim should be accepted, because that is how we would achieve the solution, with the demand of equal treatment of Greek and Turkish citizens. Greeks do not have any privileged treatment, but they receive the same treatment as other European citizens. "If something similar happened to Turkish citizens, in a short time, 800 thousand would be the minority."
The President of the Republic also stated that he does not accept to hear that "on the one hand we had reached more than one in Crans Montana, but on the other hand Anastasiadis, through his actions, rejected the solution".
He even called on those who say he is not attending talks to respond to what he did not do to resume dialogue on a solution to the Cyprus problem and noted that in his meeting with the UN Secretary General and the five permanent members of the Security Council in the Assembly of the International Organization, conveyed "very clearly the position, the readiness and the determination, to finally find ways to restart the dialogue".
The only way, he said, "is to accept the progress made so far, to accept on the other hand, the outline of positions of the Secretary General to which we, responding and showing our good will, have taken a written position, contrary with Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots. "I will try and continue in every direction to insist that (dialogue should continue) - because without dialogue there is no prospect of finding a solution."
He also said that "perhaps one way to finally create another climate, a hope that will give perspective to the dialogue, is the return of Famagusta to the legitimate citizens as a confidence-building measure, a sign of goodwill, good intentions on the part of Turkey, so that "Greek Cypriots to believe that something is moving, something is changing, some have finally decided to push for a solution."
President Anastasiadis assured the people of Famagusta that "I will do everything humanly possible for me, to meet the feelings and expectations, not only of yours but of the entire Cypriot people."
At the event there was a kiosk with information material about Famagusta, the Second Phase of the twinning ceremony of the Municipality of Famagusta with the Municipality of the Holy City of Messolonghi took place and gifts were exchanged.
This was followed by a video screening of the occupied city taken by drone, recitation of poems and the event ended with an artistic program by the Famagusta Municipal Choir.
The event was attended, among others, by the Metropolitan of Constantia - Famagusta, MEPs, party representatives, MPs, the Mayors of Deryneia and Paralimni, the Deputy Director of ADE Famagusta and many people.
Source: KYPE