Anastasiades ready to pick up where talks left off

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades blamed this week’s breakdown of United Nations-backed negotiations at the Swiss resort of Mont Pelerin on a lack of “flexibility” by the Turkish-Cypriot delegation but insisted he’s ready to pick up where talks left off.

“The Turkish-Cypriot side did not show the necessary flexibility and this led us to call off the dialogue,” he said in a televised address, adding that the Turkish Cypriots failed to agree on the number of displaced Greek Cypriots that would have the right to reclaim their property under the new boundaries of a federal state.

Anastasiades was adamant that further negotiations must end with an agreement over how much territory will come under Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot jurisdiction under a federal umbrella, before a mutilateral final summit can discuss post-settlement security arrangements.

Referring to Turkey, which controls the northern part of the island with more than 30,000 troops, Anastasiades said that its positive rhetoric with regard to the efforts for a solution must translate into tangible support for Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

“In order for the dialogue to restart, Turkey’s contribution is necessary,” he said, while he thanked Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for his support, even though he did not comment on speculation that there were differences between Athens and Nicosia.