THE FINNISH EU presidency hopes to be able to announce today whether a crucial meeting will take place in Helsinki at the weekend between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Turkey and Greece.
Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said yesterday the presidency was still working on persuading the sides to go to Helsinki, but no agreement had yet been reached.
“We are ready to host any meetings necessary to come to a solution of the outstanding issues, which have to be addressed this year concerning Turkey and Cyprus,” he told a news conference in Denmark.
“… All the parties are supportive of our efforts and we shall continue as long as we hold the presidency, but there is not much time, and we hope that we could show some results sooner rather than later.”
Finland has been trying for several months to sell a compromise proposal that would help avoid a derailment of Turkey’s talks over its failure to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic, as required by the EU.
The Helsinki meeting was suggested as a means to reach an agreement on the Finnish proposal prior to the EU’s review of Turkey’s accession on November 8.
However, the two sides appear to be playing hardball when it comes to the terms under which the meeting might take place, ranging from preconditions on Turkey handing back Varosha to the status of Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat at such a meeting.
The Turkish Cypriot side on Tuesday expressed its willingness to go to Helsinki at the weekend, but the Greek Cypriot side said no invitation had been extended, and that in any case, if such a meeting were to take place, it would not be any higher than the level of foreign ministers.
Tuomioja said he hoped to be able to say today if the meeting would go ahead.
Tuomioja is due to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in Brussels tomorrow.
Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis repeated yesterday that at the moment there was no confirmation of a meeting in Helsinki and he repeated that the return of Varosha was still the central issue.
He also repeated that the Turkish Cypriot side had no say in the matter, as it was an issue for the Turkish army.
Pashiardis said any appearance by the Turkish Cypriot leadership would be merely to “create an impression”.
“Without the return of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants, there is no room or possibility for the Finnish initiative to be successful,” said Pashiardis.
