In statements on Saturday after his three-hour meeting with President Anastasiades, Akinci noted: “If within a couple of months we achieve a good consensus ground on the points on which agreement does not exist in the four chapters on which progress has been reached, I hope that 2016 will be really a year in which we take a step for lasting peace in Cyprus with the conclusion afterwards of the issues of the territory and security and guarantees. We can achieve an agreement which the people in both sides will approve and may carry Cyprus’ future in a much better point than it is today”.

Replying to a question on the issue of the rotating presidency, Akinci argued: “Our understanding is there. They have problems on this issue. This is what they say. Therefore, there is no agreement yet on this issue. However, I think that reaching a consensus is inevitable, because our stance on this issue is very clear and evident”.

Referring to the issue of the “citizenships” which the Turkish President had recently raised during a meeting with a Turkish Cypriot delegation in Ankara, Akinci claimed: “My views on this issue are not a secret. I am negotiating at the table according to the TRNC’s official data. I cannot turn these data into a scratch pad every now and then. Therefore, the seriousness at the negotiating table must continue”. He recalled that he has repeatedly expressed the view that all the “citizens” of the breakaway regime should become citizens of the United Cyprus and the EU and that during the “election” campaign had stated that the Turkish settlers came to Cyprus 40 years ago, got married, had children and established businesses and “therefore they will have a place in the county’s future”. He added, though, that this is based on some “official data” and that except for these data there are also “laws” made by the “government”. He noted that he is not positive to massively granting the “citizenship” and has absolutely no problem to openly say this. Recalling that in 2003 and 2004 the “citizenship” had been granted to many persons but the “court” annulled them, Akinci added: “Granting the citizenship to thousands of people is one thing and the citizenships naturally developed is another. I must be careful at the negotiating table, because we have carried out the negotiations until today with the data we have. The data I have are the official data of the country. They are numbers given by the ministry of interior”.