THE GOVERNMENT reacted yesterday to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s comments to a Turkish newspaper, saying it would be launching a “large-scale campaign” abroad to prove that Talat’s ultimate agenda was recognition of the pseudostate and not reunification.
In an interview with the New Anatolian, an online paper, Talat called on the EU to press the Greek Cypriots to end their “embargo” against the Turkish Cypriots.
“If the Turkish Cypriots were no longer isolated, the Greek side would accept the Annan plan, or even less,” he said.
He went on to reveal that, during the recent deliberations in Brussels, the Turkish Cypriot side proposed the opening of ports and airports in the north in exchange for the return of Varosha to the Greek Cypriots.
“In exchange for returning Maras (Varosha), we want the opening of our airports and harbours, and an end to the cultural embargo. It means the end to our isolation,” Talat said in the interview.
“Because the meaning of our proposal is to achieve the last phase before full recognition in exchange for Maras. Essentially everything except for recognition. The Greek Cypriot side already saw this and immediately rejected the proposal. They even refuse to talk about it,” he added.
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides remarked yesterday that Talat had “revealed his true colours,” namely, that all the Turkish Cypriot leader was interested in was the eventual recognition of the breakaway regime and not peace as he regularly declared.
Asked what the government’s next move would be, Chrysostomides said a campaign would be undertaken to explain Talat’s true policy to decision-making centres abroad.
“His policy is obvious. The foreign governments involved are aware of his intentions,” noted the Government Spokesman.
“Mr Talat is considered a leader who constantly speaks of reunification, and this contradicts his (latest) statements, where he talks of recognition, everything short of full recognition.
“Evidently, he associates this (recognition) with a term he frequently likes to use, namely, the lifting of the Turkish Cypriots’ isolation.”
“Prior to Mr Talat’s admission, the government had stressed that Mr Talat’s political goal behind this slogan of ending the isolation was nothing less than recognition,” added Chrysostomides.
The latest comment was understood as intended to vindicate the administration stated policy in recent months of refusing to arrange talks with Talat as the latter’s views are said to be a carbon copy of those held by Ankara.
Earlier this week a row erupted amid the government coalition about a proposed informal meeting between Talat and President Papadopoulos, to be brokered by AKEL boss Demetris Christofias.
Papadopoulos said he would not object to dining with Talat, so long as they did not touch upon the substance of the Cyprus problem, since the meeting would not be under UN auspices. That in turn raised the question of the pointlessness of the meeting.
And Foreign Minister George Iacovou yesterday took a similar line, accusing Talat of trying to “extort” the recognition of the breakaway regime via the lifting of the north’s economic isolation.
“In this way, Mr Talat has shown his true intentions and that what he really wants is recognition.”
