Greek Cypriot side ‘partly to blame’

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias has admitted the Greek Cypriot side was partly to blame for the outcome of the planned Agios Mamas pilgrimage on Wednesday, according to political sources who attended the meeting with the President on Thursday.

At the meeting, according to the sources, Christofias had briefed party leaders about what had happened at the Limnitis checkpoint on Wednesday.

The President, they said, underlined the fact that it was the Turkish Cypriot police’s lack of flexibility and negative stance that was to blame for the pilgrimage’s cancellation.

This, he added, had led to the cancellation of his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, which was meant to commence the second round of direct negotiations between the two community leaders.

But he did say there was complete mayhem at Limnitis on Wednesday, with the list of names that would be attending the church service in Ayios Mamas being “incomplete and insufficient”, which riled the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

Christofias admitted the state should have been there to help and coordinate the pilgrims’ transportation to occupied Morphou, as well as to stop them being hassled by the Turkish Cypriot policemen, who “found the opportunity to harm the direct negotiations”.

According to an official government announcement on Thursday, Christofias contacted the Turkish Cypriot leader by phone to report the negative stance of the Turkish Cypriot side.

Talat reportedly recognised the mistakes made by his side, but stressed that the whole matter had been handled very superficially by the Greek Cypriots.

The two leaders agreed to discuss the matter on September 10, when the second round of negotiations will begin.

During the presidential palace meeting, opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades couldn’t help criticising the way the whole affair was handled by the state; this, he said, indicated a complete lack of strategy for the direct talks.

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