TURKISH PRIME Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat saying that his time in leadership will be marked in history for carving a path for Turkish Cypriots to the world.
According to yesterday’s Cyprus News Agency, Erdogan said in his letter that during Talat’s time in power, Turkish Cypriots always showed a willingness for a just and lasting solution in Cyprus, noting that Talat’s ‘presidency’ will be defined in history as a time when full negotiations were undertaken with vigour and sincerity.
The Turkish PM highlighted that the elections in the north were carried out democratically. Important developments were taking place towards the breakaway state in the north “getting what it deserves”, he said.
Talat on Sunday lost the election for a second term as Turkish Cypriot leader to hardliner Dervis Eroglu who has pledged to continue the talks although he is proponent of a two-state solution.
Erdogan said the most important thing is for the negotiations to continue under the UN auspices for a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the same line and same principles, said Erdogan, adding that Turkey would continue to support a just and viable solution.
The UN process could be successful if the Greek Cypriot side was honest, he argued. If the Greek Cypriots avoid a solution, then the international community will put an end to the injustice against the Turkish Cypriots, the Turkish premier added.
“At the end of this process, regardless of what happens, the winner will be the Turkish people of Cyprus. In any case, your leadership and your efforts will be forever in our memory and will be appreciated by the Turks of Cyprus,” he said.
Erdogan concluded his letter saying that Turkey would remain an effective guarantor of the island and the Turkish Cypriots.
President Demetris Christofias yesterday spoke of the difficulties ahead. “It is clear that we will have difficulties. But I do not want to forejudge anything,” he told reporters last night.
Christofias expressed the readiness of the Greek Cypriot side for the resumption of negotiations.
“We await. We are more than ready for a meeting with Mr. Eroglu at the negotiating table under UN auspices,” he added.
Asked if there was any information from the UN as to when the talks would resume, Christofias said: “The UN are consulting. Alexander Downer [the UN chief’s Special Advisor for Cyprus] will go to the UN, , which satisfies us.”
He said the government had already taken preventive measures, “by talking with the UN Secretary General and sending a letter to the EU and the UN.” He also called for unity at home.
Meanwhile reports in the Turkish Cypriot press yesterday suggested that the father and son duo, Rauf and Serdar Denktash, would make up part of Eroglu’s negotiating team.
Haberdar newspaper quoted sources saying that Eroglu will appoint the following people in his negotiating team: Rauf Denktash (adviser), Ata Atun, Serdar Denktash (chief negotiator), Ismet Kotak, Taner Etkin, Huseyin Ozgurgun, Vedat Celik, and Ergun Olgun.
Asked whether the appointment of Rauf Denktash, the former Turkish Cypriot leader and a known hardliner on the Cyprus problem, would make a solution that much harder, Christofias said: “First of all, it is known that these are like-minded people. Beyond that, it is inappropriate to talk of ‘if’.
“We have our line. As President of the Republic and as negotiator I want to believe that the same line will be confirmed by the National Council and finally we will face the difficulties that lie ahead united.”