Talat objects to ‘piecemeal’ solution
THE government yesterday confirmed it had submitted a detailed proposal to the European Commission concerning the opening of the port in occupied Famagusta in return for the closed city of Varosha.
Presidential spokesman Marios Karoyian said President Tassos Papadopoulos had tabled a document on Famagusta, adding that he was not aware of suggestions by the European Union to shelve the issue until December in order not to create a problem with Turkey’s European course.
“We gave the proposal and from then on the European Union’s apparatus will analyse and assess it, and we’ll see what the next steps would be,” Karoyian said.
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides stressed that the government sought an agreed solution on the Green Line regulation issue — noting that the proposal concerned the return of Varosha to its legal residents as provided for by the UN Security Council resolutions — so that a legal way would be found to re-operate Famagusta port.
He said the port could be useful to the reconstruction of the city and could operate with the participation of Greeks and Turkish Cypriots under the supervision of the European Union.
But Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat rejected the proposal, arguing that the Cyprus problem should be solved in a comprehensive manner.
“The whole of the Cyprus problem needs solving. We cannot solve the problem piecemeal,” Talat said on Sunday.
He added: “The Turkish Cypriots want to change the non-solution status quo on the island, but the Greek Cypriot administration is still unsure.”
“They propose we give up Varosha in return for direct trade, and give up the buffer zone in return for direct flights to Ercan [Tymbou] airport. This is the wrong approach,” Talat said.
According to reports, EU member-states have their reservations on the matter.
Though the proposal seemed appealing, certain powerful members, including the Dutch Presidency, do not want the matter to be tabled at this stage as it could ruin Turkey’s image ahead of the crunch December assessment.
Sources in the government argue, however, that Turkey could easily return the city because there are no Turkish Cypriots to be relocated and say the gesture would weaken potential opposition to Turkey’s European aspirations.
The government has stressed that it would not accept the legalisation of Tymbou airport as part of the deal.
However, according to reports, the opening of the Famagusta port on an exchange basis would take away the government’s legal argument about ports of entry, which could lead to the opening of the airport.
