Time running out for Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot president

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Time is running out on the Cyprus issue, said Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Monday.

"Time is running out fast. Either we manage to come to an agreement on what is possible and reasonable, or the status quo, in other words, the division, will be permanent," said a statement by Akinci, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Akinci stressed that the societies need to be conscious of the urgency of the situation.

Cyprus was divided into a Turkish Cypriot state in the north and a Greek Cypriot administration in the south after a 1974 military coup was followed by violence against the island’s Turks and Turkey’s intervention as a guarantor power.

The status of the island remains unresolved in spite of a series of negotiations over the years.

The latest initiative -- in Crans-Montana, Switzerland in 2017, under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. -- ended in failure.

Akinci said no one can impose a solution model on Cyprus single-handedly, adding: "As I stated many times, a solution can be shaped through common sense."

He added that the contributions of third parties such as the UN and EU are also important.

"The support of Turkey and Greece in the process is vital," said the president.