Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has sent a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres requesting his intervention on a decision made by the parliament on Friday to refer to the ‘enosis’ referendum in schools, an announcement from the so called ‘presidency’ said on Wednesday.
Akinci said in his letter that the reference to the 1950 unofficial referendum would be a “blow” the efforts to build trust between the two communities in Cyprus and the negotiation process.
Earlier, the Turkish Cypriot leader called for a correction to the parliament’s decision on the ‘enosis’ referendum, CNA reported.
He added that the process of negotiations “would have no point” without the correction.
“We need confidence building measures, we do not need conduct that would erode security,” Akinci said.
He noted that since he was selected as the Turkish Cypriot leader, he has stood against statements for annexation of the occupied areas and ‘enosis’, or union, of the state with Greece.
“It is our right to await the same behaviour from the Greek Cypriot leader,” Akinci said.
Akinci added that President Nicos Anastasiades has to take steps to cancel the decision of the parliament, which was made last Friday.
ELAM – the party that proposed the amendment – the Turkish Cypriot leader said is a small party that is dragging the larger parties. He referred to examples of small parties in the UK, which gained ground and influenced the country’s decision to exit the EU.
EIDE: TOMORROW’S MEETING CRUCIAL
Akinci also met with UN Secretary General Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday, ahead of a leaders’ meeting scheduled for Thursday.
After the meeting, Eide said that all the Anastasiades-Akinci meetings are important, but tomorrow’s was “crucial”.
He added that it is important now to “deal with the latest developments to rebuild the trust, which was lost between both communities.”
Eide said that regardless of how constructive and dedicated the leaders to dealing with the issues that remain, support is needed from both communities, which need to trust one another.
The UN envoy noted that the leaders have their role, but the wider community has a role to deal with the issue, because “we have come this far, and now we are in the end game”.
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