Özersay: “A new questioning process is needed in Cyprus”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay said that the current stage of the relations of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the interest of the international community is not in the situation of moving the negotiation process to the top of the agenda and putting pressure on the Greek Cypriot side.

Speaking to the Voice of America in New York, Minister Özersay said that a questioning process needs to be started for the future of Cyprus and expressed his wish for New York meetings to provide this questioning.

Adding that it should be questioned where we made a mistake and why there has been a failed negotiation process for 50 years, and is it the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation which we want to reach? Özersay stressed that we should try to find sincerely the answers to these questions.

Furthermore, stressing that there is not any procedure which has not been tried for solution of the Cyprus problem, Özersay said that all methods have been exhausted. Özersay also said that international actors should take steps towards motivating the Greek Cypriot side to cooperate with the Turkish Cypriot side and to find a solution but international actors do not fulfil their responsibilities.

Criticizing America for being close to the Greek Cypriots and supporting drilling works through one of their companies, Özersay said that this is also contrary to the responsibilities within the context of international relations.