Akinci threatened to resign if federal solution not on the table
According to a report by Turkish Cypriot media Kibris Postasi, on Wednesday Akinci made the statement during the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to the north last April.
The paper said it was during a dinner with all the heads of Turkish Cypriot political parties.
The revelations were made by the chairman of the Rebirth party Erhan Arikli who was present at the dinner.
Cavusolglu, according to Arikli, said “we must also discuss a two-state solution and confederation,” but Akinci voiced his disagreement.
I was elected to discuss federation, I can’t tell my voters federation is not possible, I would have to resign, the Turkish Cypriot leader was quoted as saying.
Arikli reportedly also said that on that night the relations between Akinci and Turkey reached a turning point. It has been reported that when Akinci was in New York last month to meet with the UN chief, Cavuosglu had not met with him.
Subsequent reports suggested he was being sidelined by Ankara in favour of Turkish Cypriot ‘foreign minister’ Kudret Ozersay.
But Ozersay, who has recently been carrying out unofficial contacts with senior Greek Cypriot political figures, was reported as saying on Wednesday that there was nothing untoward going on behind Akinci’s back, and there was no tension between Ankara and north Cyprus.
President Akinci and the prime minister Tufan Erhurman were informed of all the meetings as well as the context of the meetings, he was quoted as saying. No one was bypassed.
He also said Akinci had not asked for any meetings with the Turkish leadership in New York.
All meetings that had been planned took place and no meeting was rejected, Ozersay added.
He said, in response to media reports, that it was not appropriate to question the relations between Turkey and the ‘TRNC’ “by creating artificial discussion”.
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