ISTANBUL
A former president of Turkish north Cyprus stated Tuesday that the 'bleeding wound' of the divided island remained a potential danger for the future.
Mehmet Ali Talat told a conference at Istanbul’s Aydin University that peace in Cyprus existed only as a truce, signed neither by the northern nor the southern part of the island.
Talat said the issue had to be solved within 'justice standards' to secure a permanent peace on the island, adding that finding a solution depended mostly on “equality” between each part of the two societies.
The former TRNC leader was speaking after having been attacked on March 27 during a conference in Southern Cyprus. Violent members of a Greek nationalist group called ELAM breached security at Limassol conference venue before interrupting speeches. Talat noted “peace was still not on the right track” on the island.
After the Limassol incident, Greek Cypriot president Nikos Anastasiadis expressed regret over the violence.
Greek Cypriot administration spokesman Christos Stilianidis had said Anastasiadis and his government regarded the incident as an act of terror and illegal activity. A Greek Cypriot police chief, Mihalis Papageorgiu, was forced to resign the same day.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
