Too many unsolved issues

THERE ARE too many unsolved issues in the Cyprus problem for the bulk of the talks to be left to the aides of the two leaders, said Presidential Commissioner Georgios Iacovou yesterday.

Iacovou ruled out adopting the Turkish Cypriot proposal on how to go about the second reading of the chapters under discussion in the talks. Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat had suggested that the two leaders discuss the issues of executive powers and property while leaving the rest for the two aides, Iacovou and Ozdil Nami.

“Mr Talat said the two leaders deal only with two issues and all other issues be directed towards the aides. There are so many serious issues that such an issue would confuse the process,” said Iacovou.

The commissioner highlighted it wasn’t just executive power or property issues where no progress had been made. “There are whole chapters where there has been no progress, many issues.”

He gave as an example the question of political equality which the Turkish Cypriots argue should also mean some kind of numerical equality. “This is a big issue,” said Iacovou, adding that the Greek Cypriot side did not believe such issues could go to the two aides to sort out.

Talat’s spokesman Hasan Ercakica has stressed that the Turkish Cypriot side were keen to move ahead with the talks and were trying to come up with ways to make the process more speedy and efficient.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.