Could this be a finally solution on the dispute between the North and Southern Island of Cyprus? As both Leaders prepares to meet in New York

Mustafa Akinci

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has said that if there is no Cyprus deal Greek Cypriots could find themselves neighbours with Turkey.

According to Turkish daily Hurriyet on Monday, Akinci said: “If there is no resolution, then the Greek Cypriot side may become neighbours with Turkey on the island”.

Asked by the newspaper whether this meant that the Turkish Cypriot administration would actually become a part of Turkey, Akıncı said: “I cannot know how the structure would develop after many years. In case of no solution we would of course want for the continuation of the TRNC but the Greek Cypriot side should carefully think where the unrecognised [state of northern Cyprus], embargoes and the deadlock that accompanies [the whole process] will lead the issue to,” he added.

He also said that if there was no rotating presidency between the two founding states there would be no deal.

“A rotating presidency is one of the indispensable topics for the equality of the Turkish Cypriot nation. If the Greek Cypriot side says that ‘the rotating presidency will never be a parameter of the solution,’ then this means there will be no deal,” he said.

“This means that the Turkish Cypriot leader will in no case sign this [deal] and put it before his nation.”

Akıncı said that the discussion could only be held on “which intervals the rotating presidency can be implemented,” according to Hurriyet

“But if in principal the point of ‘a rotating presidency will not happen’ continues, this means there will be no deal,” Akıncı reiterated.

Akıncı and President Nicos Anastasiades are due to meet jointly with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 25 in New York. After the last meeting on September 14, they announced in a joint statement that they would ask Ban to become more personally engaged in the process.