Joan Ryan congratulates new president Mustafa Akıncı

Joan Ryan

A parliamentary candidate and former MP has welcomed Mustafa Akıncı’s election to the Turkish Cypriot presidency.

Joan Ryan, the Labour candidate for Enfield North, said she was encouraged that the new president’s support for reunification and his willingness to reach out to all communities in Cyprus could help kick-start peace talks on the island.

“2015 could be a really important year to make significant progress towards achieving a comprehensive, negotiated settlement in Cyprus,” she said.

“I hope to visit the island in the near future and have the opportunity to discuss the current situation with Mr Akıncı and representatives from the Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot communities.”

Ms Ryan, a former special representative to Cyprus for the UK government, continued: “I know that from speaking to so many members of both communities in Enfield that there is a real desire to reunify the island based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation. I wholeheartedly support this plan.

“Cyprus is very close to my heart. It was a great privilege to serve as the UK’s Special Representative to the island under a Labour Government and, if I am elected as MP for Enfield North on May 7th, I will be doing all I can in Parliament to help ensure that a negotiated reunion, led by both communities, is achieved.”

Mustafa Akıncı was elected on Sunday in the second round of North Cyprus’s presidential election with nearly two-thirds of the vote.