Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay lashed out at President Nicos Anastasiades over his proposal for Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). At the same time, in relation to the hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean, he said that there is no question of retreat.
In an interview with CNN Turk, Oktay said about President Anastasiades that he is proposing "give us Varosha and we will allow you to use Ercan airport". To this he asked: "Who owns Varosha? Who owns Ercan airport in northern Cyprus?",[/I] as reported in the occupied territories. Who are you, he continued, again addressing President Anastasiades, "who will say in northern Cyprus give me Varosha and I will let you use the airport"? He also spoke of arrogance and ignorance on the part of the President of the Republic.
He said that "the place you are going to talk to is not Turkey, it is tdvk. The place you will recognize or recognize is tdvk", as he referred to the pseudo-state. "If you are going to sit at the table, first you sit with them, you talk and a solution can be sought in which the island is shared fairly," he added.
"If the use of hydrocarbons is required, this is not a field of conflict, it is a field of cooperation, it can be a symbol of peace. A decision to use them can be taken through companies seeking hydrocarbon resources or a commission," he said, reiterating the long-standing Turkish position.
"We, as Turkey, if necessary, form a committee which will decide where and who will do exploration, and this will contribute to the development of the island and the prosperity of the people here," he added."
According to Oktay, "We see that a project cannot be implemented without Turkey. We are already discussing this very clearly with the sides. These are the other issues we are discussing with both Israel and other countries in the region." "At this stage, it may not be right to try to exclude Turkey. There is no question of retreating," he said."
On the closed city of Barossa, Fuat Oktay said it had been revived. "You remember the reaction when it first opened. It opened and what happened? Did the world break down? The number of visitors exceeded 500 thousand." He also referred to the "real estate commission", saying that "there is an increase in applications here if someone wants to transfer their properties here.We see that the interest of E/Cs in the area has increased" and expressed satisfaction with that.
"Varosha, which will contribute to the development of the region, is the most advanced destination in the region and its revival will please both the Greek side and the Turkish side," he claimed.
He also claimed that "Varosha is a witness to what the E/Cs did to the T/Cs. This place should be valued as a symbol of peace and in a way that respects property rights. It should also stop being a ghost town."
In his interview with CNN Turk, Fuat Oktay said about the Aegean islands that "it is embarrassing for Turkey that while it insists on disarmament while Greece has an approach that says there is no such thing and the EU seems to support it."
"A hundred years have passed, there is a Turkey that has been patient for a hundred years. We sincerely hope that Greece will recover," he said. It is not possible, he added, "to accept such an aggressive approach of 'you did not invade my airspace on the island of Kastelorizo, which is 600 km away. ' Either the islands will be disarmed or their sovereignty will be challenged. Turkey cannot and will not consent to this."
Source: CNA
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