Kofi Annan yesterday called on President Tassos Papadopoulos to take the initiative in responding positively to his appeal to cooperate in ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.
The UN Secretary General issued his appeal during a half-hour meeting in New York with Papadopoulos, the first since the failure of the Cyprus talks in Switzerland and the overwhelming Greek Cypriot ‘no’ in April’s referendum.
The meeting also came just hours after the publication of Annan’s detailed report on the failed talks process. The Greek Cypriot side was heavily criticised in the report, while Annan heaped praise on Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side for their acceptance of his plan, which had “undone any rationale for pressuring and isolating them”.
His report urged members of the Security Council to help end the economic isolation of the north and he asked Papadopoulos, who made it clear he disagreed with much of the report, to join in “eliminating the unnecessary restrictions and barriers”.
“This would signal that the Greek Cypriots wish to reach out to their Turkish Cypriot compatriots in the north and assist them and help facilitate the eventual goal of reunification,” the statement said.
The statement also said that Annan had asked the Security Council to be ready to address security concerns and the implementation of his plan even though he saw ”saw little if any score for a renewed good offices effort as long as the stalemate continued.”
”After the decisive rejection of the plan by the Greek Cypriots, it would be for that side to explain to the Turkish Cypriots, the UN and the rest of the world how they see the way forward,” Annan said. He also repeated his regret “that a unique opportunity to solve the Cyprus problem has been missed.”
Diplomatic sources said the only thing Annan and Papadopoulos agreed on at the meeting was that there should be a time for reflection before any further moves were made towards a solution. “But he (Papadopoulos) had no ideas on how to go forward,” said the sources. “He said he needed changes to the plan in several areas but the Secretary-general told him there was no room for a new initiative as long as the stalemate remained.”
The sources said that Papadopoulos was hesitant to go all out in aiding the Turkish Cypriots because he believed it could make them lose interest in reunification.
“The Secretary-general told him the Turkish Cypriots didn’t need
incentives for reunification because they had shown their interest in that by voting in favour of the plan, despite the sacrifices it entailed,” said the source.
Speaking at a news conference after the meeting with Annan, Papadopoulos said he wished to help the Turkish Cypriots reap the benefits of EU accession and see that they received as many benefits as possible “on condition that these were permissible and possible” in the context of EU and international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
He said that when the time was ripe, Turkish Cypriots would realise that “having their own little world and getting the benefits they are getting” was only “second best” to reunification.
Papadopoulos said he disagreed with much of Annan’s report, which he said was full of inaccuracies and he would be submitting his views in writing to the UN, he said. The report calls him to task over his emotional televised speech on April 7 urging Greek Cypriots to say ‘no’. Annan also criticised the Greek Cypriot media for the role it played in the ‘no’ vote. Little was done “by some parties” to convince the people of the need to compromise, he said.
According to Annan, EU accession had weakened Greek Cypriot incentive to compromise, and the government was pursuing a less flexible policy. The Greek Cypriots had also failed to negotiate in a spirit of give and take, Annan said.
But Papadopoulos dismissed suggestions he had deceived people.
”I have deceived nobody. Never before had a document received as much analysis through the media, it would be unfair to say the people of Cyprus voted the way they voted because they were in any way misguided by anybody. I had to give my own assessment of the plan and the decision must be respected by all,” he said.
”To say that this particular plan, only this particular plan, is the only way of achieving that aim I think is wrong. The people rejected not the federation solution but this particular plan.”
”Many of the points the Turkish side demanded at the talks were points that to a great extent served the interests of Turkey not those of the Turkish Cypriots,” he said adding that he hoped ”the new outlook” shown by the Turkish side was not “an illusion”.
Commenting on Annan’s proposal to review the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus UNFICYP, Papadopoulos said he shared the view that the force and the mandate of UNFICYP should be reviewed. He said the force was doing a ”marvellous job” but since there had been no changes in security issues on the island, UNFICYP needed to continue its role. ”It would be a mistake to withdraw the force,” he said.
Earlier yesterday before his meeting with Annan, Papadopoulos said that the Greek Cypriot side was “particularly offended” and considered unfounded the assessment that the decision of the Cyprus people to reject the plan constituted a rejection of a solution. “The Cyprus people decided that this plan did not secure the substantial prerequisites and certainly did not meet the many concerns we had put forward at the negotiations both in writing and orally with consistency and plan but they had not been accepted,” said Papadopoulos.
