Spat continues over confidence building measures

The proposals for confidence building measures (CBMs) drawn up by President Nicos Anastasiades are beneficial to both sides, government spokesperson Marios Pelekanos said on Wednesday after Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar dismissed them.

“The CBMs proposals are mutually beneficial and aim at creating a positive atmosphere for the resumption of the dialogue on the Cyprus problem,” Pelekanos said.

“It is with regret that we have been informed of their dismissal by the Turkish Cypriot leadership.”

Pelekanos said this dismissal is indicative of Turkey’s intransigence and revealed Turkey’s true goals, “which, instead of serving Turkish Cypriot interests, are only instrumental to Ankara’s pursuits.”

Anastasiades outlined his proposals in a letter addressed to the Turkish Cypriot leader and the UN in May.

It included provisions for the operation by the UN of the airport located in Tymbou and the return of legal residents to Varosha.

The proposed package of measures also provides for European Commission involvement in trade through Famagusta port and allowing Cypriot-flagged vessels to access ports in Turkey.

An escrow account for revenues from hydrocarbon activities, to be accessed by the Turkish Cypriot community, is also proposed, provided that Cyprus and Turkey delineate their exclusive economic zones.

However, late on Tuesday Tatar’s office rejected the CBMs, referring to them as an “attempt to create specific impressions and spread the power of the Greek Cypriot side throughout the island”.

The office said proposals by the Turkish Cypriot side are being processed, which it claims, will contribute to the economy and prosperity of “the two peoples, Cyprus and the region, on the basis of respect for established rights” and which will be communicated to all interested parties when finalised.

It also said that if the Greek Cypriots want to build trust between the two sides, it must first prove its sincerity and put an end to its efforts to obstruct Turkish Cypriots in all areas.

The Greek Cypriots, it added, continue to block the Turkish Cypriot side’s access to the international community in every field “using its abusive status of claiming the so-called sole recognised state of the island of Cyprus and on the other hand trying to convince the relevant circles that it is trying to build a climate of trust. This behaviour is simply disingenuous,” the statement continued.

When newly-appointed negotiator Menelaos Menelaou gave a copy of Anastasiades’ letter to Tatar’s special representative Ergun Olgun the latter said “it is unacceptable to include the title of President of the Republic of Cyprus at the beginning of the letter,” adding that “it is unacceptable to make reference to the exhausted negotiating basis, fostering the illusion that it is valid.”

According to the Turkish Cypriot side, this situation is a thing of the past and does not reflect the current situation on the ground and stressed that a new formal process of finding common ground between the two sides can only be undertaken after the recognition of the established rights of the two parties on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status.

“Therefore, these so-called proposals were rejected in line with our previous statements”.