OUR GROUP of travelling reporters on a commercial flight- Air Moufflon One -to Geneva via Athens were accompanied by the Greek Cypriot negotiating team, including President Demetris Christofias.
During the Athens stopover, reporters got wind of comments made by Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu regarding his plans to seek a timeframe to the talks, so they can wrap up by end of March.
We pressed members of the negotiating team to get government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou to give us a response. The message was passed on to those in first class and we sat patiently in the clouds.
When the plane prepared itself for landing, one journalist went forward to see what was happening about those comments. Alas, Christofias and Stefanou chose instead to make good use of the hindrance of travel. They were both sleeping.
By evening, over a dozen journalists camped in the lobby of the president’s hotel awaiting news from UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer who met Christofias for near an hour and a half.
The hotel had two sets of lifts and two exits. We had both covered. To his credit, when the Australian did come down, he made no effort to escape through the back entrance, instead taking all our questions with the ease.
By yesterday morning, we were all up and ready and standing in freezing temperatures outside the Palais waiting for our security checks.
Downer improved the climate somewhat on his arrival, responding to a question on how he felt by saying he felt very fresh and had a great sleep thank you very much. Probed further, he said he had a dream of a reunited Cyprus. Christofias arrived, shrugged his shoulders and said he’s been dreaming that dream for 36 years. When Eroglu turned up, he said nothing, and was asked nothing. Not even by the Turkish-speaking press.
As the meeting took place, journalists and members of the two negotiating teams at various times ended up in the café where bored and restless reporters quizzed anyone on anything.
When all was said and done, we made our way back to the hotel, but not before a near scandal broke out.
The Turkish Cypriot delegation, both negotiators and press, wore identification tags to enter the building, as did we. Only theirs had ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus delegation’ written on them.
Apparently, representations were made to the relevant posts and a clarification was issued by the UN which put it down to a “technical mistake”, adding the UN continues to recognise the Republic of Cyprus as a UN member “in good standing”.
However, the peace-making UN was not to have the final word. As the bus made its way through afternoon Geneva traffic, one reporter spotted the hotel where Eroglu was staying, along with Downer and Ban. There was a ‘TRNC’ flag hoisted outside.
The speculation began. Did Eroglu book the same hotel as Christofias and then cancel last minute when he saw the Republic of Cyprus flag flying outside? It turns out, no, but the rumour mill was doing the rounds, and the day ensured to be just another day in the life of the Cyprus problem with its pyrrhic victories and fatal losses.
