The President of the Democratic Party, Nikolas Papadopoulos, launched a full-scale attack on the policy of the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, in the Cyprus issue on Saturday, expressing the position that it is necessary to end the failed strategy pursued in our national issue and that the only way as he said, it is "to change the current government". The President's response was immediate, expressing regret as he states, because "Mr. Nikolas Papadopoulos and the small DIKO team that surrounds him, instead of being interested in the future generations of this place, are interested in the upcoming presidential elections, the campaign for which It started today with the unsubstantiated criticism of the President of the Republic ".
In his speech before the Central Committee of DIKO, Nikolas Papadopoulos stated that "Anastasiadis' strategy in the Cyprus issue, unfortunately failed. (…) Mr. Anastasiadis' obsession to follow the same, wrong result, tactics and strategy proves to be disastrous for our national interests ".
He stressed that "there is a way to change the failed strategy pursued today in the Cyprus issue: To change the current government", while addressing a call to the parties in the interim space, saying that the intermediate space has a historical role to play. He has to present an alternative to the people. "
"We insist on a new strategy," he said, adding that "there must be an end to the slippage of the last nine years" and "the descent of retreats must finally stop. We must get rid of the politics of fear. "
According to the president of DIKO, what Cyprus needs is "a government that will defend our national interests, will defend the Republic of Cyprus and the Cypriot Hellenism", noting that "we need a government of the Center that will give a new perspective to the people us".
Nikolas Papadopoulos referred to the course that led the Cyprus issue to the current situation, saying that "the Geneva Conference failed mainly due to Turkish intransigence. This intransigence, however, was encouraged by our own concessions. From the policy of "generous offers". Turkey is intimidated. He saw us ready to give it our all and demanded everything. We have before us a catastrophic failure of the policy pursued for the past 9 years by DISY and AKEL in the Cyprus issue ".
In his speech at the DIKO Central Committee, he codified the reasons for the failure of the Cyprus negotiation process.
"The Annan Plan renegotiation strategy has led to a 'give-and-take', resulting in a worse variant of the Annan Plan. The tactic of "generous offers", which led to the intimidation of Turkey and the encouragement of its intransigence, since we "gave" everything, or almost everything, to the capital of the Government and removed any incentive from Turkey to compromised in the remaining trading chapters. "President Anastasiadis' compliance with the Turkish demands, whether they concern the substance or the process", stressed Mr. Papadopoulos and continued:
"Everything that Akinci told us happened. What Anastasiadis promised us was refuted. Mr. Anastasiadis accepted the way of negotiation that the Turkish side wanted, that is, the five-party conference, with the wrong composition, with the Republic of Cyprus absent, with the Security Council absent and without fulfilling any of the conditions set by our side for an international conference ".
Nikolas Papadopoulos expressed the view that Turkey has been deprived of the Cyprus issue in the European Union, referring to the facts, that our side is pushing for the thawing of Turkish accession funds and that the upgrading of Turkey's customs union with the EU, which the current government has welcomed.
The president of DIKO referred specifically to the five-party conference, saying that the composition of the five-party system strengthens Turkey's argument that the Republic of Cyprus is extinct and strengthens Akinci's argument that "Cyprus is represented" equally "by the two" entities ". ' on the island".
"Unfortunately, the five-party conference is the culmination of almost a decade of political deprivation in Turkey. In addition to the deprivation of Turkey, as a result we see an unprecedented upgrade of the occupiers and the occupying leader, who for the first time meets heads of state, is invited to the White House and now the transition of foreign officials to the "presidential" in the occupied territories is rule".
Nikolas Papadopoulos referred in detail to the Democratic Party's proposal for the new strategy in the Cyprus issue.
Briefly, the New Strategy should:
● To have as its forefront the shielding of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to safeguard our national interests, in case of failure to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem.
● The challenge of political costs in Turkey for the non-resolution of the Cyprus problem, such as the end of the thawing of Turkey's accession funds and the upgrading of Turkey's customs union with the EU.
. Taking advantage of the bad climate for Turkey in the EU.
● Utilizing the incentive for the settlement of the Cyprus problem, the accession of the Turkish Cypriots to the EU through the Republic of Cyprus and not Turkey.
. Utilization of the geostrategic interests that arise in relation to the exploitation of the natural series in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus.
The president of DIKO also immediately proposed a change in our tactics in the negotiations: ", He said and concluded:
"Anastasiadis' strategy on the Cyprus issue, unfortunately, failed. His repeated contradictory statements, the many violations of unanimous decisions of the National Council and the failure of our party to prove timeless arguments, prove that we should not and cannot trust President Anastasiadis. "Mr. Anastasiadis' obsession to follow the same, wrong result, tactics and strategy proves to be disastrous for our national interests."
V. Papadopoulos: The president of DIKO is interested in the presidential elections
Nikolas Papadopoulos responded to what he said in his speech early in the afternoon through the Deputy Government Spokesman, Victor Papadopoulos, who accused the DIKO president that "instead of being interested in the future generations of this country, he is interested in the upcoming elections." ».
In a written statement, V. Papadopoulos states that "unfortunately it is with regret that we observe that Mr. Nikolas Papadopoulos and the small DIKO team that surrounds him, instead of being interested in the future generations of this place, are interested in the upcoming presidential elections. the campaign for which he started today with the unsupported criticism he exerts on the President of the Republic ".
"We want to remind Mr. Nikolas Papadopoulos that at a time when the Cypriot people are watching with patience, agony, but also hope the efforts to achieve the reunification of our country and its liberation from occupation, at the same time he sees the president of DIKO to have as its sole concern the upcoming presidential elections ", he states.
"In any case," he added, "the Cypriot people know very well which government saved them from economic disaster and restored the local economy, which government managed to get rid of the memorandum faster than anticipated, which government has succeeded." at the negotiating table significant gains for Greek Cypriots - such as securing the four basic freedoms throughout the country, ensuring the proportion of the population of 1960, securing a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality but also several other arrangements that improve not only previous United Nations plans, but also 1960 arrangements. "
Victor Papadopoulos also states that "the Cypriot people know very well who has upgraded the Republic of Cyprus during these four years as never before through Tripartite Cooperation in the region, through the EU and the restoration of Cyprus' relations with superpowers, at the international level." .
Concluding, the deputy government spokesman appeals "once again to Mr. Nikolas Papadopoulos to feel the weight of the responsibility he bears as a party leader towards future generations and not to start from now on a damaging for the country, prolonged election campaign".
Source: Liberal