Turkish Cypriot side says it is “painted” badly, despite denying chance of Cyprus talks

The Turkish Cypriot side on Sunday denied claims that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for either a trilateral or multilateral meeting on the Cyprus problem.

They also denied that the breakaway regime had negatively responded to Guterres’ alleged proposal, claiming efforts are being made to “paint the Turkish Cypriot side in a bad light”.

In a report on AlphaNews on Saturday, it emerged that the national council was informed the Greek Cypriot side had responded positively to a proposal by Guterres to have a meeting either trilateral or with the three guarantor powers as well on the Cyprus problem.

However, in a comment on Sunday, and in an attempt to save face for denying a chance to start Cyprus talks, the north’s ‘foreign ministry’ what has been published in the Greek Cypriot press about the national council meeting is “false and manipulated” in order to present the Turkish Cypriot side as the one that does not want a solution.

The information was confirmed on Saturday night, indirectly but clearly, by the President Nikos Christodoulides himself, through discontent for the leak.

“All I want to say is to express my great, very great disappointment – without commenting on the substance, whether what has been published corresponds to reality or not – but my great disappointment that in the national council, where we discuss, we agree on some things and these things are not respected by some people,” he said.

According to a statement issued late yesterday afternoon by the north: “We have not received an official proposal for a meeting from the UN Secretary General. Therefore, the news that the Turkish Cypriot side rejected the unofficial proposal of a trilateral and/or five-party conference proposed by the UN, while the Greek Cypriot side accepted this proposal, is unfounded.”

The ‘ministry’ also referred to ongoing efforts by UNSG personal envoy Maria Holguin to find common ground to start Cyprus talks.

According to the north, Holguin’s mission is not to “find” common ground but only to “see” if there is any.

They also insisted that the sovereign equality they seek for the north is to have a two-state solution. According the ‘ministry’ the only solution can be that of achieving good neighbourly relations in the event of a two-state solution as supported by Turkey.