November 3, 2014 - Cyprus Mail
Government denies submitting territory map
The map published by Milliyet
The government on Monday denied a report that it had submitted a map in the reunification negotiations proposing that the Turkish side gets 25 per cent of territory in the event of a settlement.
The report was published by Turkish newspaper Milliyet, together with the map allegedly tabled by the Greek Cypriot side.
Government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides suggested it was an attempt by Turkey to mislead.
“The president has submitted nothing to the negotiations beyond the criteria that a settlement of the territorial issue must be based on,” the spokesman said.
Leaking misleading information, especially when it found itself in a difficult position, was a practice employed by Turkey on a regular basis, he said.
Milliyet claimed that the map left Turkish Cypriots with “only 25 per cent” of the territory, instead of 29 per cent provided for in a UN blueprint rejected in 2004.
Turkey currently occupies around 37 per cent of the island’s area.
“It is clear that it aims to turn attention away from Turkey’s provocative actions in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and possibly to create impressions abroad,” Christodoulides said.
Turkey disputes Cyprus’ right to carry out natural gas exploration inside its EEZ and has dispatched a research vessel to conduct seismic surveys in the area.
The move prompted President Nicos Anastasiades to pull out of reunification talks.
To settle the territorial issue, the Greek Cypriot side has proposed criteria including development prospects, religious, historical and cultural importance of a particular area, and land productivity.
Meanwhile, former negotiator for the Turkish Cypriot community Kudret Ozersay said he would give back the town of Varosha to its lawful residents but under Turkish Cypriot administration.
Ozersay, who is contesting his community’s elections in April, said he would have done this if he was the leader of his community.
“Some would think that this suggestion will not sit well with the Greek Cypriot community but I think its time to refer to them directly instead of their leadership,” he was quoted as saying by Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibris Postasi.
“We can promise that this arrangement will not be binding if comprehensive settlement is reached and according to that settlement a different scenario is thought for Varosha”.
Kibris Postasi said Özersay was criticised when he shared his suggestion on Facebook.
Activists, politicians, sociologists and other members of the community accused him of “trying to nicely package a hardliner right-wing attitude”