Anastasiades: "We Could Have Solved the Cyprus Issue with Akıncı If Ankara Had Allowed It"

Speaking at the launch of former Finance Minister Haris Georgiades' book, New Realism – 50 Years After the Turkish Invasion, the Cyprus Problem, Anastasiades remarked that the 180-page book effectively outlines the modern history of the Cypriot state. He commended the author for not only reaching the right conclusions but also offering bold proposals that could serve as food for thought.

Following his remarks on the book, Anastasiades reflected on the reasons behind the failure of negotiations on the Cyprus issue in Crans-Montana.

Anastasiades claimed that the Turkish side’s demand for any decision to require the affirmative vote of at least one of the four Turkish Cypriot ministers or officials in an eleven-member council went beyond a veto and would paralyze the state. He argued that this would leave Cyprus entirely dependent on Turkey, ultimately leading either to the dissolution of the Republic of Cyprus or the establishment of an independent Turkish Cypriot state.

Describing Akıncı as "sensitive" to Greek Cypriot concerns, Anastasiades suggested that progress towards a solution was blocked by external influences. "If we had been allowed to proceed, the Cyprus problem would have been resolved. Unfortunately, Akıncı was unable to implement or enforce what he advocated. Even when simultaneous map exchanges were possible, Erdoğan refused to receive Akıncı in Ankara for six months," he said.

Anastasiades reiterated that the main obstacle to an agreement was Turkey’s rigid stance on maintaining guarantees and a permanent military presence. Citing confidential UN minutes from meetings between the UN Secretary-General and then-Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, he stated that Turkey’s red line was that if there were no troops, there would be no guarantees. "This was not a mere starting position," he added.

He also noted that some had presented Turkey’s willingness to rename the Treaty of Guarantee as a major concession. However, he recalled that in a second meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Çavuşoğlu rejected any reduction in troop numbers, instead insisting that the number exceed 650 and that a Turkish military base be established.

Refusing to disclose details of his private discussions with the UN Secretary-General, Anastasiades said, "To avoid making negative comments about the Secretary-General, I refrain from revealing more. But at some point, a book will come out, and much more will be exposed."

The former president asserted that Turkey’s policy had remained unchanged since the 1974 invasion, seeking either partition or a two-zone federation with unworkable functionality.

Responding to accusations of betrayal, Anastasiades declared, "To those who accuse me of treason, my response is that I prefer insults over disrespecting history."

Meanwhile, author and former minister Haris Georgiades stated that he would accept a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation based on European principles, with Turkish troops withdrawn, guarantees abolished, and certain territories returned.