Hopes are dim after tripartite meeting in New York

The Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos, declared today that hopes are dim after the meeting of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with the President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.

He made his statement at the end of the liturgical service at the Monastery of Agios Neophytos, but he clarified that he was not personally briefed after the late night meeting on Monday.

“There are hopes, but since Ersin Tatar is headed to Ankara, we know very well that Ankara's goal is to make a Turkish Cypriot state in Cyprus”.
They want recognition from us, noting that "there is no person in Cyprus, that is, a Cypriot President, who can recognize a Turkish state in Cyprus. I do not believe it”.

"We as a church reject something like this," he added.

When asked how he felt about reports that the Turkish Foreign Ministry was annoyed about statements he had made two days ago, he replied "Let it bother them, I do not mind. It is my homeland and I must support it. Let them do whatever they want”.