Greek Cypriot side Aiming for Results From Tatar Meeting

He was asked whether results are expected from the meeting, which is set to focus on the matter of opening new crossing points between Cyprus’ two sides, and said, “we are approaching this with this goal and this perspective”.

“We already have very specific proposals that we have submitted, we have demonstrated our constructive stance to achieve a positive outcome. However, for there to be a positive outcome, there must be sincere political will on both sides,” he said.

To this end, he said, “we hope that at the table, the self-evident will be demonstrated to achieve a positive outcome”.

Letymbiotis’ comments come two days after President Nikos Christodoulides called on Tatar to have “positive” intentions at Monday’s meeting.

“I hope there will be a positive result. I am going there with the intention of there being a positive result. I also hope Tatar will come with the same intentions so that we can announce results, which will be beneficial for the Cypriot people as a whole,” he said.

Tatar and Christodoulides are yet to see eye to eye on the matter of crossing points and where they should be opened, with Tatar having criticised the Greek Cypriot side’s approach on the matter in recent weeks.

Tatar has in the past said that while his aim is to open new crossing points linking the Republic and the north, he believes it is the Greek Cypriot side’s aim to open what would effectively be transit roads connecting the Republic with other parts of the Republic.

“We wanted a crossing point at Mia Milia, while the Greek Cypriot side wanted to transit through the Turkish military areas near Athienou and Kokkina. This is unacceptable,” he said.

A crossing point near Athienou, for example, would cut journey times for people from Cyprus’ southeast to Nicosia if connected to another crossing point on the western side of the part of territory held by the north which juts southwards to encompass the village of Louroujina.

Meanwhile, while a crossing point near the Kokkina exclave would make life easier for the residents of the surrounding Greek Cypriot villages, the exclave itself has a civilian population of zero, thus raising questions of whether such a crossing point would be beneficial for Turkish Cypriots.

Local politicians on both sides of the island, including Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci, the Greek Cypriot Athienou municipality, Greek Cypriot Kato Pyrgos mukhtar Nikos Kleanthous, and Turkish Cypriot Kythrea mayor Ali Karavezierler all, unsurprisingly, have come out in favour of crossing points in their own local areas.

Source: Cyprus Mail