GREEK and Turkish Cypriot leaders met for a second time in the latest phase of talks yesterday, but their meeting lasted less than an hour, covered peripheral issues, and “no real action” took place, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said.
Denktash described the atmosphere of the meeting as good, “but there is no action in essence”.
He added he and President Tassos Papadopoulos had discussed where the temporary buildings of the central government would be, and the issues of choosing a flag and anthem.
The essence of the talks was not taken up, he added.
Denktash’s comments gave rise to speculation that the sides were waiting for Greece and Turkey to enter the negotiations to sort out the issues that could not be agreed on and that little was taking place at the negotiating table, despite the fact that both sides have submitted a list of changes they would like to see in the Annan plan. These issues concern property, territory, the return of refugees, and Turkish settlers.
Comments made later by the Turkish Cypriot leader backed up the speculation, when Denktash admitted the real work would begin when the talks picked up again on Tuesday following Monday’s Greek Cypriot public holiday.
He said UN envoy Alvaro de Soto, who is conducting the talks, had not told the leaders what was on Tuesday’s agenda, and he denied that his early departure from yesterday’s meeting meant there was a problem.
“There is no crisis in the talks yet,” he said. “We have finished for this week and if you are asking me what we did… nothing.”
As part of UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s terms for the resumption of talks, agreed in New York last week, Greece and Turkey will enter the fray if the two leaders do not reach an agreement by March 22. If that option fails by March 29, both sides have given Annan the green light to fill in the blanks in order to put the solution to a referendum in April so that a united Cyprus can join the EU on May 1.
“I want people to go to this referendum knowing everything about the plan so that nobody can blame anyone in the end,” said Denktash, vowing to give a running commentary on the talks every day.
“Since they are making us negotiate the Annan plan with pressure, we will try to change the parts we can… if not, we have to tell our people what this plan brings and takes away,” he said. “We will tell the people on the last days that we wanted that and that, and we achieved them, or we will tell we could not get the things we wanted, the former dangers still exist, and the decision is yours.”
The government, which has accused the Turkish Cypriot leader of seeking unacceptable changes to the Annan plan, yesterday dismissed Denktash’s comments on the apparent lack of substance to yesterday’s negotiations.
“The issues of the building facilities, the flag or the anthem might seem technical and procedural, but their political implications should not be underestimated.
“Above all the study of these issues should by no means be interpreted as sending messages of either progress or deadlock, optimism or pessimism for the outcome of the negotiations”, said Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides.
The spokesman said the particular issues were included in the agenda of the talks: “They must be taken into consideration by the interlocutors and that is what we are doing,” he said.
“We respond to our obligations even if we don’t consider that these are matters of priority, even if we believe that there are many other more important matters. There are certainly very important issues that must be overcome.”
Speaking after yesterday’s talks, Papadopoulos said: “I did not pay attention to Mr Dentkash’s public statements. I paid attention to what he said inside the negotiating room, which is outside the plan and the parameters of the plan.”
Papadopoulos refrained from commenting on Denktash’s references to the fact that the location of the central government buildings was the topic of discussion. He was also vague when it was suggested that the sides were waiting for the entry of Greece and Turkey before any real ‘give and take’ took place.
“Quite the contrary,” Papadopoulos said. “The important negotiations will happen by that date.”
Asked if yesterday’s discussions were better than Thursday’s, Papadopoulos said: “There are no better or worse days. The best day will be March 31.”
He agreed, however, with Denktash’s assessment that the people should be informed, despite the UN appealing to both sides to refrain from talking about the content of the meetings.
Papadopoulos said there had been no call for a news blackout. “There is no such call. I do what I consider right. The issues we want to negotiate are well known, our views and the arguments we put forward are for the negotiating room,” he said.
Denktash also commented yesterday on Papadopoulos’ accusation that the Turkish Cypriot side was asking for changes outside the parameters of the plan.
“He would say so, and I will talk about my views too,” he said.
Referring to the 90-day approval for the plan by the Turkish assembly from the date of the referendum, which is slated for April 21, the Turkish Cypriot leader pointed out that the date from then would fall on July 20, the date of the 1974 Turkish invasion. “Nice coincidence,” he said.
