Turkish Cypriots back Ankara’s stance of keeping their distance
FERDI Sabit Soyer, the ‘Prime Minister’ in the north said yesterday the Turkish Cypriot side shared Ankara’s concerns about talking to the UN Secretary–general’s Special Representative Michael Moller.
Although reports have been rife all week that Turkey had refused a request by Moller to visit Ankara because it was uncomfortable with what it perceived as Moller’s alleged bias towards the Greek Cypriot side, this was the first time it was said on the record by any of the Turkish side’s leaders.
Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibrisli yesterday quotes Soyer as saying his side shared Ankara’s view and that they wished to keep their distance from the UN’s representative.
Moller is due to aid the two sides to begin technical talks on everyday issues as agreed by President Tassos Papadopoulos and Secretary-general Kofi Annan in Paris on February 28.
”The Turkish government’s refusal to let the Danish diplomat go to Ankara was based on sound reasons,” Soyer was quoted as saying. “We as the TRNC, are also distant to Moller now.”
Soyer said that the joint communiqu? published at the end of the Paris talks had cast a shadow over any dialogue. He said the Turkish side has asked for explanations and that until these are received, their views on Moller would not change.
Soyer also said that the proposal for technical talks had been the idea of Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
The controversy arose after Papadopoulos returned from Paris saying that talks would discuss on a parallel basis both technical and political issues such as Varosha and demilitarisation, which angered the Turkish side and put the UN on the spot. The UN clarified that the talks would be technical, which then angered the Greek Cypriot side prompting Papadopoulos to say a UN clarification was “erroneous”.
Government spokesman George Lillikas repeated yesterday that issues on the substance of the Cyprus problem should be included in the agenda of a new round of talks.
He said the government was now expecting Annan to implement the process agreed in Paris. Lillikas said the agenda would be finalised during the first meetings between Moller and the leaders of the two communities.
“We are interested in a process that will lead to negotiations for a Cyprus settlement and the reunification of the island and not simple matters that will improve the conditions of separate and neighbouring residents with the Cyprus problem unresolved and Cyprus divided,” Lillikas said.
”We expect the Secretary-general to implement the process, to call the two leaders to appoint representatives, for the technical committees to begin work, and of course the first issue to be discussed is the agenda.”
Lillikas declined to be drawn out on the statements coming out of Ankara with regards to Moller. He said it was between the UN and Ankara.
Diplomatic sources told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that Ankara’s position has not been clarified. The sources said there was likely to be some movement next week once Talat returns to work. The Turkish Cypriot leader has just undergone heart surgery in Turkey.
