THE NATIONAL Council yesterday discussed the conclusion of the first round of UN-led intensive talks between President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
The meeting concluded at around 1.30pm with a statement from Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou followed by statements from party leaders. The latter were predominantly pessimistic.
During the meeting Christofias distributed the negotiation document on governance.
“The President of the Republic has informed that the Greek Cypriot side will submit our complete proposals on the economy, European affairs and property during the second round of intensive negotiations,” Stefanou said. He said each party then submitted its position on the issues.
EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou said it had to be made strictly clear that the “unacceptable” Turkish document submitted during the first round of talks was not on the negotiation table and had been rejected in its entirety.
The Turkish document provided for two separate Flight Information Regions in Cyprus, after a solution, and rights to Turkish nationals which EU citizens enjoy.
Omirou said EDEK had proposed the National Council consult with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and that Christofias should convey this message to Papandreou when he flies to Athens today.
Stefanou confirmed that Christofias would be meeting Papandreou on Monday.
The EDEK leader said the three-day intensive talks had borne no noteworthy progress.
“We continue to be pessimistic that the Turkish side is looking for a way out and to shipwreck the talks, which is why it submitted the document which acts as a torpedo,” he said.
Not surprisingly AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said Christofias was handling the Cyprus problem in the right way. He said it was important to remain conscientious so as to maintain reliability as compared to the Turkish side which remained exposed by the fact that it submitted proposals which were outside the agreed framework.
EVROKO leader Demetris Syllouris said the negotiations had reached deadlock and urged Christofias to take back the many concessions he had made towards the Turkish side. He said EVROKO had warned of the “pitfalls”.
DIKO leader Marios Garoyian was equally pessimistic in his rhetoric and reiterated his party’s position having a free and substantial discussion in the National Council in February.
Garoyian said he was not optimistic about the second round of intensive talks because Turkey did not have the desire to contribute to progress.
Nevertheless he said he agreed with Christofias that the negotiations had to continue.
“The president has quite rightly said that we cannot leave the negotiating table and this is the right position as things have developed,” he said.
“But what can come out of this second round of intensive talks when there is this framework before us. Has the Turkish policy changed? No. Have they burdened the whole situation with the document they handed over? The answer is yes. Therefore in what context would there be something constructive,” he added.
Stefanou smoothly evaded commenting on whether or not Christofias had bowed down to parties’ demands. “Just as the President’s position is known, so is that of the parties’, that this is a matter of substance and tactic,” he said.
As far as tactics were concerned it would be wrong to withdraw positions during negotiations because just as the Greek Cypriot side accused Turkey of intransigence so did the Greek Cypriot side have to show good will, he said.
