President challenges Tatar over checkpoint opening

President Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday that if Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar wanted the Mia Milia checkpoint to “truly” open he could have already done so.

Christodoulides, speaking at a Leventis gallery event, said that he had submitted a while ago a written proposal in relation to crossings to the United Nations, through the UN secretary-general personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin, “and unfortunately there was no positive response on behalf of Mr Tatar”.

“If he truly wanted to open this [Mia Milia] crossing,” he added, this could have already been done.

Commenting on a recent meeting with Holguin in Brussels, the president said that he would convene the National Council, as he felt the need to brief them on his meeting with the UN envoy.

“We are moving in the right direction, as well as the secretary-general and the personal envoy, with one and only goal, the resumption of talks,” he added.

“Let’s wait until Friday, I will inform all the leaders, I will discuss with them, and we will see how to proceed,” he said.

“Certainly, both the secretary-general and his personal envoy are committed to the resumption of substantive talks, and we are their allies in this effort.”

Asked if any move was expected from Holguin for a tripartite meeting, or if the period until September would be inactive, Christodoulides said that there is no dead time and that even if there are no official meetings “work is being done.”

To a journalist’s comment on Turkey’s stance, he said he hears the statements being made and that he was not going to get involved in a game of public confrontation.

“We are interested in the essence, which is, the resumption of talks,” he added.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Athienou said the people of his area will not accept any other checkpoint opening before the Pyroi-Athienou checkpoint.

The mayor’s comments come in reaction to reports that Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will push for the Mia Milia checkpoint in Nicosia to open first at an upcoming meeting with Holguin.

Tatar and Holguin are slated to meet on July 1, where the former is expected to put on the table the opening of Mia Milia.

However, Athienou mayor Kyriacos Kareklas said on Saturday that this is unacceptable for his residents, adding that he has sent a personal letter to Christodoulides that the Pyroi checkpoint should open first.

He said that the opening of the checkpoint would be for “humanitarian” purposes because his village is isolated.

“Fifty years of isolation, suffering, sacrifice and patience are enough,” he said. “We will not accept the opening of any other checkpoint, unless the opening of the Pyroi passage is provided for at least at the same time.”

The mayor of Kato Pyrgos in the north west also called for the opening of Kokkina, in reaction to Tatar’s comments.