Anastasiades: Turkish side’s positions violate UN mandate for a settlement

President Nicos Anastasiades said on Thursday that Turkish Cypriot and Turkish positions for the resumption of talks violate the UN mandate for a settlement.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva at the end of the informal 5+1 meeting, Anastasiades said that the Turkish side, in violation of the parameters set by the UN for a Cyprus settlement, had insisted any talks should focus on recognition of their sovereign rights and two states.

He expressed satisfaction at the ‘flawless’ position of the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres who had made clear that this was outside the UN mandate.

Turkish proposals for a two-state solution to resolve the division of Cyprus are a clear violation of United Nations resolutions over the divided island and will never be accepted he added.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier said there was not enough common ground to resume peace talks between estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

“There is not one single chance of Turkey or the Turkish Cypriot side succeeding in this. This was something which was pointed out by the (United Nations) Secretary-General,” Anastasiades told reporters in Geneva.