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Ramy Salama
Northern Cyprus
AS the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC or Northern Cyprus) celebrated its 42nd Peace and Freedom Day recently, there was a sense of hope and optimism that the Cyprus dispute would be resolved by the 'end of 2016'.
Cyprus, which gained its independence from the British in 1960, initially enjoyed a representative joint republic between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, until disputes between the two communities forced Turkey to intervene to guarantee the rights of Turkish Cypriots on July 20, 1974, an event which is celebrated annually as Peace and Freedom Day.
Addressing mediapersons on a visit to the territory to witness the celebration, Northern Cyprus President Mustafa Akinci stressed his position that it is both possible and desirable to resolve the issue by the end of the calendar year.
"We want to find a mutually acceptable solution, namely a Bizonal Bicommunal Federation of both communities, which would also be supported by the international community. This kind of solution has been envisaged since the 1990s, a federal set-up where there will be two constituent states running their own areas, but at the same time they would be under a federal umbrella governing the country," he explained.
"Hopefully, if everything goes well and if we can narrow our differences, we can achieve this by the end of this year. A lot of important developments will occur next year, including the start of campaigning for the Greek Cypriot Presidential elections, in February, 2018. In 2017, we will also have a new UN Secretary-General and a new US administration, and we don't know yet what kind of changes will emerge out of these events," he added.
On his part, TRNC Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu stressed the urgent need to find a solution, given the challenges which Turkish Cypriots have experienced"for 50 years", and the unsustainable nature of the status quo, for all parties involved.
"These current negotiations are the last chance for a solution. By the end of the year, there's either going to be a settlement here or it will be clear to the international community that there will not be a settlement. Turkish Cypriot people have been waiting since 1963 for a settlement of the Cyprus problem and in the meantime we have to find other indirect means and ways that citizens of recognised countries can do easily," he said.
Speaking at the Peace and Freedom celebrations on July 20, President Akf1'fdnc'fd added that the recently discovered natural gas reserves around Cyprus constituted another strong and pressing motivation for finding a solution by yearf0's end."In the event we do not find a solution in 2016, initiatives to start drilling for natural gas in early 2017 will result in mounting tension across the island," he said.
Celebrations of the Peace and Freedom Day were scaled back this year as a result of the attempted coup in Turkey just a few days before the ceremony. The festivities included a parade and speeches by President Akinci and Turkish officials. Additional events included services of remembrance for Turkish Cypriot martyrs.
