OPPOSITION leader Nicos Anastassiades and Turkish Cypriot ‘Prime Minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat both reiterated their commitment to the resumption of talks, following a meeting yesterday in the occupied part of Nicosia.
To waiting journalists, the news after the two-hour meeting was that the Turkish Cypriot leader was prepared to undertake a new initiative for the resumption of talks after the April 17 ‘presidential’ elections in the north.
The meeting took place at the Turkish Republic Party’s (CTP) headquarters, where Talat and CTP officials reviewed with the DISY delegation the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.
It comes on the heels of the European Council summit last week, after which Turkey agreed to the text of the EU customs union protocol. Also, the meeting was held at a time when the government has ruled out official contacts with Talat, whom it accuses of being disinterested in a solution to the island’s political problem.
Yesterday, Talat said that, after the elections, he was “considering” asking the United Nations to promote a new initiative under its auspices.
The Turkish Cypriot leader was also “ready” to propose a number of practical measures concerning relations between the two communities after the partial lifting on restrictions on movement.
For example, the two communities would need to look at co-operation on clamping down on drug trafficking across the demarcation line, as well as working together on solving crime cases, such as that of the murder of Turkish Cypriot businessman Elmas Guzelyurtlu.
In a jibe at President Tassos Papadopoulos, Talat said he did not know whether his counterpart was ready for a resumption of talks.
If Papadopoulos was ready to take part in negotiations, then the Greek Cypriot media would already have been alerted to this, added Talat.
For his part, Anastassiades sidestepped a question as to whether Papadopoulos had submitted to the UN Secretary-general the Greek Cypriot side’s desired changes to the Annan plan.
However, the DISY boss said he knew the “concerns” of the majority of the members of the National Council; the body is next set to meet on April 12, just days before the elections in the north.
Describing their meeting as “highly useful”, both politicians pledged they would urge their respective leaderships to resume talks for a settlement.
Talat’s CTP party recently also met with an AKEL delegation.
