Averof told you some home truths

Opinion Cyprus problemun Averof told you some home truths Antonio Guterres Relevant News Are you listening, you vile racists? Marina is more Cypriot than any of you 12 August 2026 Averof told you some home truths 12 August 2026 Cyprus aviation checks found no grounds to restrict Ryanair operations 12 August 2026 Chrysanthos Manoli 12 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber When the President of the Republic said, after Guterres’s visit, that the whole of August would be used to prepare for a new 5+1 meeting and that he himself had no intention of taking a holiday precisely because he wanted to work on those preparations, we did not expect the entire process to unfold in front of the cameras, live on air. On the other hand, when we heard the President say that there would be daily work to produce a result in the direction indicated by the UN Secretary-General, we expected, at the very least, that these days would not be consumed by government and opposition trading blows and publicly taking shots at one another. Not quite so much, anyway. If the Greek Cypriot side really is working these days — in cooperation, we assume, with the Turkish Cypriot side and UN officials in Cyprus or abroad — we would very much welcome regular updates. It is not that we do not believe them when they tell us they will work towards holding a new conference with prospects of a positive outcome. It is that we want to feel part of that effort, even if only by being kept informed. Keep the stands warm, so to speak. There was also a gathering of political leaders at the Presidential Palace after Guterres’s visit. The President briefed them, Fidias has begun to get to grips with the issue as well, and said he would share with his followers all the new things he is learning about the Cyprus problem. After the National Council meeting, the party leaders each took their turn to say the things they usually say, and what we held on to was the assurance from DISY and AKEL that they would support the President in moving forward with a new round of negotiations from where things had left off, and so on. Since that day of assurances that they would stand behind the President, we have neither heard nor seen another statement from the parties on the Cyprus problem. The national issue has vanished without a trace. And it is not as though this is simply the time of year when everyone lowers the temperature so that both the public and those in power can go off for their summer swims. They are perfectly happy to tear strips off one another — one day over energy, the next over semi-governmental organisations, Mr Arestis’s council, the reshuffle. But on the Cyprus problem? Not a word from anyone. Are they keeping it out of the election campaign — for now — now that everyone has effectively launched their bid for the 2028 presidential election? Or do they simply not care enough about it? Have they too concluded that the Cyprus problem no longer sells? They are making a serious mistake. This column’s view is that the political responsibility for the Cyprus problem being constantly pushed aside, despite being an issue of the utmost importance to the survival of all of us, lies to a greater extent with the President than with the opposition. Unfortunately, we have grown accustomed to sterile opposition politics. All these attacks over issues of secondary importance no longer surprise us. But from the President, we expect him to be the first to raise the flag of a new, tough, daily effort on the Cyprus problem, making use at the very least of the momentum created by Guterres’s visit, as well as the fact that the Secretary-General is approaching the end of his term. We do not question the efforts the President has made over the past three years. Those efforts resulted in Guterres saying that he had decided to convene a new 5+1 conference, provided there were prospects of success. Nor do we question that the President wants the preparatory work to succeed and allow the UN chief to announce a new conference. We are simply asking for what the President himself said the day after Guterres’s visit: daily work on the preparations. Is that happening? Then let someone tell us how. Are the negotiators at least meeting? Do the two leaders not even speak on the phone? Do we really have to get through the whole of August before they can find the time to meet? Averof put it very aptly the other day: “P.S. 1. The Turkish Cypriot leadership and Turkey are not without responsibility. But unfortunately, they are comfortable with the occupation. We, by contrast, pay the price for delay, because with every passing day partition is being cemented in place. “P.S. 2. If those in government and those in opposition showed the same zeal for the Cyprus problem as they do for the advisory council and appointments to semi-governmental organisations, perhaps things would be better for our country.” Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Are you listening, you vile racists? 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