‘We would never seek out armed conflict’, President Anastasiades declared following the latest round of Turkish provocations, threats and aggressive rhetoric, also directed against Greece and climaxing in an unprecedented Erdogan-Mitsotakis verbal confrontation at a meeting of European leaders in Prague.
Responding to a series of issues before attending the 42nd Morphou anti-occupation march, the President said the Republic had proceeded with all the necessary diplomatic representations to the UN, the EU and other fora in order to make it plain that ‘unacceptable Turkish scheming for the de-facto recognition of the status quo, will not be tolerated’, as he said.
He was referring to a number of requests put forward by the Turkish-Cypriot side pertainingto the indirect recognition of the illegal entity in the occupied territories.
‘We’re not warmongers as a people’, President Anastasiades stressed, adding that the Greek Cypriot side is submitting proposals that carry the message of dialogue in the framework of international law and the acquis communitaire, leading to a solution benefitting both Greek and Turkish Cypriots as well as Turkey.
Asked whether he will be responding to the Ersin Tatar counterproposals, Anastasiades said he will not be party to the Tatar plans, citing his own confidence building measures that could restore confidence between the two sides and prepare the ground for constructive dialogue.
‘Tatar’s proposals aim at cementing their two state demand’, he added.
Revealing what he told Turkish President Tayip Erdogan in Prague, Anastasiades said that he greeted him as he did everyone out of politeness and then proceeded to stress the need for a substantive dialogue that would take the place of threats and forge settlement prospects.
‘Not now’ Erdogan responded.
On whether a post-Erdogan Turkey would be different, the President noted that opposition parties do share unacceptable demands with him, so such a situation is unpredictable.
‘Turkey must realise there is cost when threatening European countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, both in its EEZ and the fenced off city of Varosha’, he concluded.