A new round of talks with the new Turkish Cypriot leadership should come without "terms and preconditions", President Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday, as he marked the "sombre anniversary" of the unilateral declaration of the north's regime.
On November 15, 1983 Turkey and the then Turkish Cypriot leadership declared the north as a 'state', recognised to date only by Ankara.
In its resolutions 541 and 550, the United Nations Security Council condemns the attempted secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus, considering the action legally invalid and calls for its revocation. It also calls on all states not to recognise the 'state' and to respect the independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus.
In a written statement, Christodoulides said Cyprus will never accept the “illegal secessionist actions" of the north, stressing that they remain a direct consequence of the Turkish invasion and continued military presence on the island.
The anniversary should serve as a reminder of Cyprus’ responsibility to reverse the faits accomplis of the invasion and to end the current status quo in accordance with UN resolutions and EU principles, he added.
With the recent election of the new Turkish Cypriot leadership, Christodoulides expressed hope for a resumption of negotiations “without terms or preconditions” and a final settlement of the Cyprus problem. He said he will continue working “tirelessly” toward that goal.
He underlined that he personally had made great efforts since his election to create the conditions for a return to negotiations from where they stopped in 2017. These include the appointment of a UN envoy, two expanded conferences on the Cyprus problem, and, from the EU side, the appointment of a Special Envoy along with clear statements from EU leaders supporting a restart of talks.