Progress made in four chapters, Akinci says

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Saturday said progress has been made in four chapters in the negotiations and that probably the other two chapters will be discussed during the second half of the year. At the end of this process, he added, efforts will be made to try to reach an agreement with the guarantor powers.

Speaking at the 53rd meeting of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Akinci reiterated that he is doing everything possible to reach a solution.

He said if the temporary connection of for electricity became permanent it would be to the benefit of both communities. He said that on the issue of electricity the Greek Cypriot side wanted to make inspections under the auspices of foreign experts and the Turkish Cypriot side accepted this.

On the issue of telephone calls he said there are legal impediments for the Greek Cypriot side but “if this happened on this side, I would convene a meeting” and ask for a change to the rules, he said.

Elsewhere in his speech, he said the Turkish Cypriot side is preparing for harmonisation with the acquis and expressed the view that there would be better results if this work had begun in 2004.

Akinci said the Turkish Cypriots want to live in peace and democracy and an agreement is a debt for future generations.

He reiterated that both he and President Anastasiades are from the same generation and that this effort for a solution is probably the last for their generation and the last one for a federal solution.

The Turkish Cypriot leader said today a solution is more difficult than it was ten years ago, and in the next ten years a solution will be even more difficult and perhaps impossible.