prior to a dinner at the historical Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Monday, May 23, 2016. World leaders and representatives of humanitarian organizations from across the globe are converging in Istanbul for the first World Humanitarian Summit.
He said the invitation to Akinci aimed to diplomatically upgrade the breakaway north of the island, which only Turkey recognizes as an independent state and maintains more than 35,000 troops there. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup aiming at union with Greece.
The dinner was held as part of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. Anastasiades, who attended the summit, was invited to the dinner but refused to go after he was told Akinci would also be there.
Anastasiades said he remains committed to the yearlong peace talks as long as "rules of mutual respect" are obeyed and both sides stick to the "jointly expressed will to reach a mutually acceptable solution" without "unilateral actions" aiming at the north's diplomatic upgrade.
The statement also served notice to officials involved in the talks — including United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide who is facilitating negotiations — not to act in a way that could scupper the talks.
"Similar actions by anyone involved, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative not excluded, not only do not help, but oppositely undermine the ongoing process," the statement said.
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