THE FOREIGN Minister yesterday said the Turkish Cypriot leader was airing contradictory views by claiming he wants a new state or “virgin birth”, while at the same time wishing to maintain the 1960 treaty’s guarantees.
Referring to Mehmet Ali Talat’s statements after starting direct talks with President Demetris Christofias on Wednesday, Minister Markos Kyprianou added that it was unthinkable for the Turkish Cypriot leader to desire a solution by the end of the year, while at the same time hardening his stance.
“It is Cyprus’ consistent position and that of the international community that for there to be a resolution to a problem, it requires dialogue and discussions,” Kyprianou told reporters at Larnaca Airport yesterday, just before he departed for Madrid.
The negotiations, Kyprianou said, would effectively start next week within the frameworks set by the United Nations. “But at some point the contribution of the EU will be needed, especially on an expert’s level, but also the international factor with encouragement and even pressure towards the Turkish side, towards Turkey actually, to maintain a positive and constructive stance.”
Called to comment on the reactions provoked by some of Talat’s positions on the constituent states, Kyprianou said “these are the well-known positions of the other side. We shouldn’t be surprised that they were repeated [on Wednesday].”
The minister said Wednesday was the ceremonial stage of the direct talks, which started with public statements. “We need to see the final stance and position the Turkish Cypriot side will hold at the negotiating table. What is effectively the result of Mr Talat’s statements [on Wednesday] is the confirmation once again of the great difference of opinions that exist.”
Kyprianou said he found it a little ironic that “on one hand Mr Talat is in a hurry and wants a resolution within 2008 and on the other, he hardens or differentiates so much from the basic positions regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem, which means a much longer, much more detailed and a much more time-consuming procedure.”
The Minister was also asked to comment on the lack of a reaction from Turkey over the beginning of talks. “An announcement has not yet been issued, but I guess it will. Ankara stated its support for the procedure before negotiations started. We have said we want support and in essence this is what we are expecting from Ankara, but especially Mr Talat who will be the negotiator, to stand up to the form and provisions of a solution, as they are described in the United Nations resolutions and the EU’s principles.”
The international community is bound by the UN, he added. Cyprus is a member of the EU and Turkey wishes to become a member of the EU, “therefore it is unthinkable to agree on a solution that isn’t consistent with European values. Therefore, apart from spoken support to the procedure, we want to see support in the essence of the frameworks I have just mentioned.”
Asked to comment on Turkey and Talat insisting on maintaining the guarantees of the 1960 treaty, Kyprianou said, “Here we have a contradiction in terms, as on one hand Talat insists on continuing the conditions of 1960 and on the other insinuating the creation of a new state. Both ideas contradict each other. I don’t think there is any reason to negotiate publicly, we are at the most important phase of this procedure and the negotiations will take place on the talks table.”
Meanwhile, AKEL parliamentary spokesman Nicos Katsourides said it was too soon to see how things were going to pan out.
After meeting with UN Special Advisor for Cyprus Alexander Downer – who met with all parliamentary parties yesterday to discuss their views – Katsourides told reporters AKEL was not optimistic that there will be a resolution straight away, just because the direct talks have begun.
“It is an effort that we believe in. We feel the President is handling it correctly. There is a good international climate but all this will be proved in action on the table of negotiations and it will require a lot of persistence and careful efforts.”
DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades said everyone should remain calm. “We are not helping the procedure by being suspicious,” he pointed out, while EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou said negotiations had not started with the best omens. “Mehmet Ali Talat is bound by Ankara’s decisions,” said Omirou.
