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repulsewarrior
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Convergence of views
‘If we had the same positions right from the start, the problem would have been solved before we began’
PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday continued direct talks on the issue of the legislature.
The UN Secretary-general’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said the two leaders will meet again tomorrow morning and that so far they were “making steady progress” on the issue of governance.
“This is an enormously important negotiation for the people of Cyprus and inevitably it’s going to take time and inevitably the negotiations are going to be difficult negotiations but they are making progress,” he said.
Asked to define what he meant by progress, the UN Special Envoy said: “There are points of convergence in the discussion, and as they reach points of convergence they are able to move on and there are obviously points of divergence as well and it’s the points of divergence that constitute the debate.”
Whether there was more convergence or divergence he would not say although some points of divergence will be discussed by the leaders’ representatives – George Iacovou and Ozdil Nami – on Friday in relation to the legislature.
“As you can imagine for any country governance and power sharing is an enormously important issue. This is a central issue. So it is hardly surprising that it takes a while and I think it is very important to be understanding and tolerant with that frankly. An expectation that you can just suddenly solve all of these problems overnight after so many years is unrealistic,” he said.
Discussions were held on the competencies of the federal government, on the executive, the role of the executive and how the executive was elected, he added.
Speaking to reporters following his seventh face-to-face meeting with Talat, Christofias explained that in a difficult negotiating process there is convergence of views but also differences.
“Consequently, it is no coincidence that we have authorised our aides to meet again on Friday to discuss issues on which final convergence can be reached,” he said.
Asked about the outcome of yesterday’s meeting Christofias said there had been convergence and divergence but like Downer refused to elaborate.
“If we had the same positions right from the start, the problem would have been solved before we began,” he pointed out.
Christofias said: “There must be convergence on the philosophy of the kind of state we want, on how unified, firm and functional this state will be and this is a topic we shall be discussing until the end.”
The president said the two leaders would not necessarily agree on everything before moving on to another chapter.
“Once we conclude the discussions on all the aspects of the Cyprus issue, then we shall go back to see what give and take we can achieve, where and how,” he said.
Meanwhile commenting on the negotiating process yesterday, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said it was encouraging that negotiations were much better than in the past.
“The negotiation process has been, I think, encouraging. Both leaders have demonstrated very strong political will to resolve this long standing - four decade -issue through dialogue and a mutually acceptable formula. This is encouraging,” he said.
House president Marios Garoyian had a different take on the issue.
According to him only after a change in the positions of the as yet intransigent Turkish side could there be progress at the negotiations.
“Things are not encouraging, not because of the stance of the Greek Cypriot side but because the Turkish side continues to follow an intransigent and sterile stance,” he said.
If this changed there would be “substantive developments in the Cyprus issue”, he said.
Garoyian was speaking to reporters at Larnaca airport before leaving for an official visit to Armenia.
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repulsewarrior
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Downer: it’s all down to momentum
By Simon Bahceli
THE UN Secretary-general’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said yesterday he still believed ongoing negotiations on finding a solution to the Cyprus problem would result in success – albeit more slowly than some had hoped.
“I think obviously the process will go into 2009 and as long as the momentum is sustained they can achieve a good solution in the end,” Downer said after a two-and-a- half-hour meeting between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat at the UN Protected Area in Nicosia yesterday.
Yesterday’s meeting was the eighth since fully-fledged negotiations were launched on September 3. Neither of the leaders made comments as they left the meeting, preferring to leave Downer to brief the press.
The ongoing peace talks have been fraught with difficulties, with Christofias and Talat frequently trading barbs via the media. Most recently, the Greek Cypriot leadership this week accused the Turkish Cypriot side of having a philosophical approach not compatible with the agreed federal setup of a future joint state. The Turkish Cypriot side responded by saying it was committed to a federation but one in which it could govern its own affairs. Earlier bickering focussed on the issues of Turkish military guarantees – something the Turkish Cypriot side says is non-negotiable – and whether a solution would mean a continuation of the existing Cyprus Republic. So far, none of these issues have been resolved. Indeed, yesterday’s meeting was the eighth focussing on the single issue of governance and power-sharing.
Despite the prevailing public feelings of negativity surrounding the negotiations, Downer said he remained optimistic, insisting that “the process is working quite well now. It is working a lot better than it did initially”.
Asked when he thought the two leaders and their teams would move on to the second item on their agenda, Downer said, “There is no particular time laid down for that but they made good progress on the judiciary and they are moving on Monday to discuss deadlock-resolving mechanisms, and I think you could hope they could get to property before too long”.
His comments were later echoed by Christofias, who agreed property could be on the agenda before the end of the year.
“Today, Downer is justified in saying that more progress has been achieved than before,” Christofias said.
“We have done well today, to a certain extent. Generally speaking, yes, we have taken some steps forward.”
Downer was at pains yesterday to focus on the more positive aspects of discussions so far, and stressed on the need for the two sides to “maintain momentum”.
“The word that I want to really stress here is momentum and need to maintain momentum through the process. And I think there is momentum,” he said. He added, however, the belief that it would be counter-productive to set what he described as “artificial deadlines” or time limits to the negotiations, saying that such an approach “would actually make the process more difficult rather than easier”.
Asked how momentum would be maintained into the coming year Downers said, “I think that is a question of the political will of the leaders,” adding: “I have spent a lot of time with them now, I have come to know them and they are people who do have the political will to find a solution”.
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repulsewarrior
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Property issue on talks agenda ‘by end of year’
By Marianna Pissa
THE PROPERTY issue will be discussed towards the end of this year or early next year President Demetris Christofias said after yesterday’s meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat
“Towards the end of the year or the beginning of next year, we will inevitably move on to the property issue, which is not easy – although the principles are in place…. I am sure we will deal with several issues that will call for a lot of discussion,” Christofias said.
Returning to the Presidential Palace after his ninth meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday afternoon, Christofias said the meeting went “rather well”.
“It was a friendly exchange of views.”
The President was firm when asked why there was no discussion on a deadlock-resolving mechanism as planned.
“We discussed other issues. We have engaged in consulting more experts on judiciary issues, and you realise that this week was not an easy one for me due to other commitments,” he said, referring to his departure for Russia today.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting in the UN controlled Nicosia airport yesterday, UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said the talks were held in a convivial and very positive atmosphere.
Asked if there were any discussions about deadlock resolving mechanisms, Downer said the two leaders discussed exclusively the independent institutions, the offices of the Attorney General and the Auditor General and also some discussions about the Supreme Court.
As for the agenda of the next meeting, he mentioned that they have to see about it. “But I think there will be some discussion next time about the deadlock resolving mechanisms”.
The two sides put forward their positions on the issue, outlined the positions they agree on and agreed to continue the discussion at the working groups, comprising experts from both communities.
Asked to determine when this chapter will come to an end to move on to the next one, Christofias said: “There is still a lot in this chapter which is under discussion. We might even retrieve some issues that we have had different views on.
Christofias said weekly meetings have been arranged for the next three to four weeks.
The next meeting of the two leaders is planned for November 25.
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repulsewarrior
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Talks dissolve into row
By Jean Christou
CYPRUS talks began yesterday with a fierce 20-minute row after Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat unexpectedly read out a statement criticising President Demetris Christofias` trip to Russia.
According to sources close to the talks, it was a long letter and angered Christofias to the point where the two leaders engaged in a shouting match for between 20 minutes and half an hour before eventually getting down to business.
The Turkish Cypriot side has been complaining about the Moscow trip since Christofias visited Russia a week ago.
Still annoyed when he returned to the Presidential Palace after the talks, Christofias said the negotiating table was not the time or the place to read out Turkish Cypriot gripes about his trip.
He said while the talks had not gone badly in respect of discussions on federal crime, and in fact agreement had been reached, he was “dismayed” over Talat’s reading of the statement.
“I have already replied to Mr Talat orally but I have reserved the right to respond in writing,” said Christofias.
“I am sorry but this is not an issue on the agenda of the talks. Mr Talat had every right to make his statement but not in that particular place, at the UN premises. These issues are not on the agenda of the talks. These are not issues which we agreed to discuss before the UN.”
He said he had also asked the UN not to become involved in the spat over the Russia visit, even though Talat had “chosen to air his complaints within the framework of the UN”.
“I told them it was a debate between myself and Mr Talat,” he added.
Christofias said Talat had no right to question the sovereign right of the Republic of Cyprus to conclude agreements with other countries, and rejected all the criticisms dished out by Talat in his statement.
“We will continue doing this until we reach a solution of the Cyprus problem, until the future Federal United Republic of Cyprus concludes agreements with other states,” he said.
Christofias did not rule out that Talat’s move might have been linked to Turkey’s ongoing attempts to scare off vessels exploring for hydrocarbons on behalf of the government.
“I am saddened by Mr Talat’s actions and I associate them with Turkey’s provocations,” he said but added that ultimately everything would hinge on the outcome of the negotiations.
“It is true that these things cause tension. It is also true that one needs nerves of steel,” said Christofias.
“I invite Talat to come together and solve the Cyprus problem and all those issues will be solved automatically, with a just, viable and functional solution.”
Speaking of the negotiations proper yesterday, Christofias said they had reached an agreement on what constituted a federal offence.
“We also discussed the issue of federal police, where we have noted convergence but also deviations. We will continue the discussion”, he added.
The next meeting between the leaders will be held next Tuesday.
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repulsewarrior
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In his latest report on Cyprus, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the Cyprus negotiations process continues in a good direction and the two leaders are in ‘perfect unison’.
Mr Ban has also offered the extension of the UN Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus-UNFICYP’s term of duty for another 6 months which he said still plays a significant role due to the lack of a comprehensive settlement.
The current term of duty of UNFICYP expires on 15th December.
In his Cyprus report he presented to the UN Security Council, Ban said efforts aiming to provide a solution to the Cyprus problem have entered into a new phase in the last 6 months.
He said the launch of negotiations with the aim of finding a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus on a bi-communal, bi-zonal basis together with political equality of the two sides is encouraging.
That reflects the political bravery, vision and the committment towards a solution- which Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and the Greek Cypriot Leader Demetris Christofias share, Ban said.
`I very much appreciate the political leadership of two leaders` he added, encouraging them to take the negotiations process forward.
The UN Secretary-General noted that the common vision is the guide of the negotiations process which now continues with discussions on power-sharing.
Explaining his observation over the latest developments, Ban stated that the two sides explain their own positions and negotiate them in a clear and constructive way- which is a sign that the process continues in a good direction.
Stating that the main framework of the solution of the Cyprus problem and the parameters set already are very well-known, the Secretary-General said it is an advantage to have a wide range of past studies on the Cyprus issue.
He added however that there are difficult issues that need to be resolved and it is natural for the two sides to have differences.
The UN underlined the need for taking up negotiation issues within the framework of a possible agreement.
`This process requires a patient and persevering approach and I have no doubt that the two leaders will stay committed to this process with their regular meetings` Ban stressed.
He said what is waiting for Talat and Christofias as partners and not as rivals, is to maintain the acceleration at negotiations.
Reminding that the final agreement reached between the two leaders will be put into simultaneous referenda in both sides, Ban emphasized the need for the two leaders not to disregard the political aspect of the process in that sense.
Ban called on both sides to explain their peoples the benefits of a solution which will be based on a `win-win` understanding, in many fields such as economy, politics and security.
`This is what needs to be done if they want a settlement. However making complaints and maintaining negotiations through media are contradictory to that goal` he stressed.
Ban also called on the two sides to ease the way for the civil society to actively participate in discussions on the future of Cyprus.
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repulsewarrior
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Cyprus president stands down as communist party leader
1 day ago
NICOSIA (AFP) — Cyprus President Demetris Christofias said on Saturday he was standing down as leader of the communist party AKEL to focus fully on talks to reunite the long-divided east Mediterranean island.
"After 20 whole years the time has come for me to pass on the baton," he told an AKEL congress in an emotional speech.
"My obligations as president do not allow me to serve the party as general secretary to the extent that I would like and that circumstances demand."
The 62-year-old became the first communist leader to become president when he triumphed at the polls in February. He has led the island's largest party since 1988, and there is no clear favourite to succeed him.
After becoming president he reached out to the Turkish Cypriots in order to kick-start UN-brokered peace negotiations that had lain dormant since April 2004 when Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations reunification blueprint.
Direct talks resumed on September 3 between Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in a process the international community views as the best but also last chance for a settlement.
Christofias has said that more than three months of negotiations have produced very little in the way of tangible results, however.
"We are not as satisfied as we would like to be with the course of these negotiations," he said. "Although we hoped things would move along despite the difficulties, unfortunately those hopes have yet to be justified."
The next meeting of the rival leaders is scheduled for Monday, and is expected to be the last such session this year.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and seized its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup to unite Nicosia with Greece
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repulsewarrior
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repulsewarrior
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Cyprus leaders say talks in limbo
NICOSIA - Rival leaders in the ongoing peace talks over Cyprus acknowledged yesterday they had made insufficient progress, but said they would do their utmost to broker a deal as soon as possible
Greek Cypriot leader, Demetris Christofias, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, started reunification talks in September.
The dispute over the island, split after a Greek inspired coup led to a Turkish intervention in 1974, harms Turkish aspirations of joining the European Union and is a source of tension between Turkey and Greece.
"Looking back to our efforts ... we recognize that we still need to consider a long list of (negotiation) chapters," the two leaders said in a statement read out by Alexander Downer, the U.N. special envoy for Cyprus.
"Although some progress has been made it has been insufficient, but we assure you that we are resolved to do all in our power to reach a settlement as soon as possible," Downer said, flanked by the two leaders at a U.N. compound in Nicosia.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island, with a population of about 1 million, live on separate sides. Greek Cypriots represent Cyprus in the EU, and the north part of Cyprus constitutes the Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus.
Neither side sees permanent partition as an option and want a federation, but disagree on how it would work.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a deal, Downer said.
Referendum
A settlement on Cyprus has eluded diplomats for decades, most recently in 2004 when the United Nations drew up a plan for a settlement that was put to referendums on both sides of the island. It was approved by the Turkish Cypriots, but rejected by Greek Cypriots.
Any deal that the leaders broker in the present negotiations must also be put to a referendum.
Turkey started EU entry talks in late 2005. Those negotiations have been damaged by its refusal to recognize Greek Cyprus. The EU has frozen sections of its entry negotiations over Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriots.
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repulsewarrior
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Teachers join hands to pledge to work for peace
By Jean Christou
TEACHERS from both sides have pledged to work together for peace in Cyprus in 2009 as they toasted the New Year with cake and wine at the Ledra Street crossing yesterday.
Dozens of Turkish Cypriot teachers crossed to sign the joint declaration with their Greek Cypriot counterparts, as a Vasilopita was cut and huge dishes of ekmek kadayif were passed around to participants and onlookers.
“We have to knock down the walls between the two communities,” said Costis Achniotis, one of the leaders of the Platform of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Teachers for a United Cyprus.
“We must knock down not only the outer walls but also the inner walls,” Achniotis said. “We know as teachers that in the past our schools have followed policies that helped no one. We hope that with our work we can reverse this so our children can have a peaceful future,” he added.
Adnan Eraslan, the head of the Cyprus Turkish Secondary Schools Teachers Union, said the teachers had come together to sign the declaration of hope and optimism for the New Year.
“We believe that teachers can help knock down the walls. Politicians are moving very slowly in this process, but we are here to support them because each day is a loss to both the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, and we are hoping that 2009 will be a year that is very good for us and we will work very hard for this and co-operate together and will make this an island of peace and hope,” said Eraslan.
In their joint declaration, the teachers said that under leftist rule on both sides, the first serious effort to modernise and humanise was taking place in schools to bring them to European standards.
“Instead of the reactions, the disorientation and neutralisation games of the nationalists and the conservatives inside and outside the schools in both communities, schools in Cyprus have started moving forward with determination for the future of all children in Cyprus, which will be peaceful and independent of national origin or the faults of their ancestors,” the declaration said.
As far as the Cyprus problem was concerned, the Platform said it currently appeared to be operating on a wait-and-see basis. “But we want to believe that soon it will accelerate and become more fruitful,” the declaration added.
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repulsewarrior
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Talks resume tomorrow, but are they going anywhere?
By Jean Christou
PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat will hold their first meeting of the New Year tomorrow, with both saying they hoped 2009 would be the year for a solution.
Tomorrow’s meeting will be the 14th between the leaders since the talks resumed on September 3 last year.
At their last meeting on December 22, they both said that although some progress had been made, it was insufficient. But they reaffirmed their commitment to do everything in their power to reach a settlement as soon as possible.
Both reiterated this in messages over the holiday period. Christofias said on Friday night during the cutting of the Vasilopita at AKEL that 2009 would be full of difficulties, not least when it came to the Cyprus issue, given what he called a newer hardline stance coming from the Turkish Cypriot side.
But he warned that the Greek Cypriot side would not make unacceptable concessions or shift its position on aiming for a federation in Cyprus.
“We are facing a new year, which will be full of difficulties… difficulties in regard to the handling the Cyprus problem because I regret to have to say once again, things seem to have changed course with the Turkish Cypriot side following another line now, tougher, less fair, beyond and outside what was agreed at times between the two parties,” he said.
While sending a message of friendship and understanding to Talat he added: “But let no one be under the illusion that the Greek Cypriot side will make unacceptable concessions or shift positions that would turn a federation into a loose federation or confederation.”
In his New Year message, Talat said the Turkish Cypriots had started to look forward to their future with hope, since talks began last September.
“With the election of Demetris Christofias… a new hope for peace was born, and this is how the negotiations process started,” he said.
Talat said he hoped 2009 would be the year when peace would be found in Cyprus.
During tomorrow’s meeting, the leaders are expected to continue discussing external affairs and powers and also some constitutional questions still outstanding.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Taye-Brook Zerihoun will host the meeting, while Special Representative Alexander Downer will be present at the talks which will follow on January 12 and 16.
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repulsewarrior
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NICOSIA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have made significant progress on their talks over the future federal government, the United Nations' top envoy in Cyprus said Monday.
Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met for the first time in 2009 in the U.N.-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia, with the presence of Taye-Brook Zerihoun, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special representative in Cyprus.
"They have reached full agreement on the issue of harmonization and cooperation between the federal government and the constituent states or the federal units." Zerihoun told reporters following the three-hour meeting Monday morning.
"They are also very close to full convergence on the issue of hierarchy of norms and have decided to continue discussion on the matter in order to overcome the remaining obstacles," he added.
Christofias later told Greek Cypriot reporters that the 14th meeting with Talat since last September had a positive outcome. But he declined to elaborate on the details of the agreement they have reached.
The two leaders' next meeting will be on Jan. 12.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/05/content_10608881.htm |
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repulsewarrior
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Talat-Christofias property meeting goes ‘as expected’
By Jacqueline Theodoulou
YESTERDAY’S meeting between the two community leaders to discuss property rights went “as could be expected”, President Demetris Christofias said after the talks.
Asked whether he had found common ground with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat over the principles upon which the discussion will be carried out, Christofias said each side had offered its positions on the matter and would discuss each other’s views in the next meeting.
“From there on, the discussion will become more specific and we will try to agree on the principles upon which the problem could be resolved,” said the President.
Asked whether he was right in his predictions over the way Talat would enter yesterday’s discussion (the President said he had a feeling Talat would be following his “same old beaten path” on the matter) Christofias said, “We, too, followed our own beaten path, supporting the principles of international justice and those of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the human rights treaties, both international and European. And they tabled their own views”.
Asked whether Talat remained true to his word that he respects property rights, Christofias said this remained to be seen.
“The working groups of both sides have accepted the right to property. The question is, how can we exercise this right and this is where the big discussion will be centred.”
The meeting, which started just after 10am and lasted around three hours, was the first in many to follow on the thorny subject of property rights.
Exiting the UN-controlled meeting place in the old Nicosia Airport area, Christofias’ first comment was “we have begun”, while asked if he was satisfied with the way the meeting went, Talat replied: “We will see”.
The President was accompanied by Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou, the head of the working group for government matters, Andreas Mavrommatis, the head and a member of the properties working group, Erato Kozakou Markoulli and Andreas Simeou respectively, and legal advisers Toumazos Tsielepis and Meneleos Menelaou.
In their previous meeting, the two community leaders had wrapped up discussions on the chapter concerning the island’s government and distribution of powers.
According to the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Taye Brook Zerihoun, the leaders yesterday exchanged papers, which put down the principles that will guide their discussions on property.
He added that the leaders would meet again on February 4, and will present initial reactions to each other’s papers.
Zerihoun said the leaders decided to implement the understanding or agreement reached in the technical committees on cultural heritage, namely the establishment of an advisory board on the preservation, physical protection and restoration of immovable cultural heritage in Cyprus.
He added that the leaders’ two representatives will meet next week “to continue efforts towards full convergence on the governance chapter. They will also take up other issues”.
Asked if the two sides tabled any positions on the property issue, Zerihoun replied, “Yes they have exchanged papers”.
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repulsewarrior
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Good discussions on property
NOW LEADERS TACKLE THE HARD QUESTIONS
By Charlie Charalambous
Cypriot leaders this week delved into the nitty-gritty of the property issue in an effort to lay down some ground rules for the delicate negotiations ahead.
The property issue has the very real potential of de-railing the talks before the end game is in sight.
President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat held their second meeting on property this week, registering 18 head-to-head sessions since peace negotiations resumed on September 3.
UN chief of mission, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, described their latest meeting - in which each leader presented his reaction to the initial exchange of papers on the property question - as “substantive”.
Each side has stated their view on the basic principles that should guide the process and a response to that has now been received.
“They had a good round of discussions, a substantive discussion on this issue and they have agreed to continue these discussions next week in the afternoon of the 12th of February,” Zerihoun said afterwards.
Christofias was in a less talkative mood after the meeting only saying that “various things were discussed” and “we continue as usual”.
Senior aides George Iacovou and Ozdil Nami will meet today as part of on-going efforts to reach convergence on unresolved matters.
UN special envoy Alexander Downer will be back on the island in time to take charge of next week’s meeting.
The president has said his position on property is based on international law, human rights conventions and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.
However, the Turkish Cypriots have a rather different approach concerning land-swap deals, compensation, territory and access to property.
Talat believes discussions will not last as long as those on power sharing, despite the government calling it the most intricate and difficult issue of the negotiations.
The international community is pinning its hopes on this latest reunification bid and more high profile diplomats are expected on Cyprus as time moves on.
Britain’s Europe Minister Caroline Flint will hold talks with Christofias and other politicians during her four-day visit from Sunday.
She will also attend a meeting with the heads of UK diplomatic missions in Athens, Ankara and Nicosia.
Although both leaders have conceded that progress has been “insufficient” they both have stressed their commitment to brokering a lasting settlement.
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repulsewarrior
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Rehn says all sides must take the chance on offer
By Simon Bahceli
Europe stands ready to support a Cypriot solution for the sake of Cyprus and the European Union, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said yesterday.
Rehn was speaking at the end of a one-day visit to the island aimed at taking stock of ongoing negotiations for a settlement of the Cyprus problem. During his visit he met separately with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, President Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, as well as UN special envoy to Cyprus Alexander Downer.
Rehn said his visit came at a “crucial time” in the negotiating process and that “there is a unique chance this year to reunite Cyprus and bring to an end this long-standing conflict on European soil”.
“This chance must be taken and not missed,” he added.
The Enlargement Commissioner also reiterated the need for Turkey to play a positive role in the process.
“It is important that Turkey continues to contribute to a favourable atmosphere. What counts is that Turkey supports the process along the lines the that the two leaders have agreed”.
Rehn also offered EU support to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, saying the Commission was providing full political support and was “ready to offer legal and technical advice on matters related to the EU”.
“Once the leaders agree to a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue, the EU will do its utmost to accommodate the terms of a settlement in line with the fundamental principles on which the EU is founded,” he added.
He stipulated however that any agreed settlement “should be in line with the principles and the acquis communautaire of the EU”.
“It is essential that a unified Cyprus will be able to speak with one single voice in the decision-making structures of the EU. That is essential for Cyprus and absolutely essential for the EU,” he warned, but added: “That means we are in favour of the bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as defined in the resolutions of the UN”.
Between visits to the two Cypriot leaders Rehn took a stroll down Ledra Street, from where he crossed into the north. Reflecting on his walk Rehn said, “I had the chance to meet with some people from both communities and I saw that both sides of the island are ready to put aside the past and work together to reunify the island and the two communities. This gives me great hope for the future of a unified Cyprus as a normal member state of the European Union”.
While Rehn pledged the EU’s support for ongoing negotiations, he called on the leaders to implement confident building measures that would boost public confidence in the process.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009 |
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repulsewarrior
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The beautiful people, Enosis, partition… and our bloody mess
By Nicos Rolandis
I RECALL it was May 1978, three months after I had taken over as Minister of Foreign Affairs. I was in New York with President Spyros Kyprianou to attend the First UN Special Session on Disarmament.
During my stay there, I addressed a gathering of overseas Greeks and Cypriots and I thanked them, inter alia, for the solidarity of the Greek Americans with Cyprus and her cause. When my speech was over, the president of one of the participating associations approached me and discreetly suggested that Greeks in the US would rather be called “Americans of Greek origin” than “Greek Americans”. They were first and foremost Americans and their origin followed.
When I went back to the hotel, I pondered over what was suggested to me. I wondered how many Cypriots feel they are Cypriots first, and then Greeks or Turks. My memory flew back to the hard years we went through in the 1960s, when a negligible number of citizens only believed in their country and her national symbols… Years during which Greeks and Turks considered Cyprus as a “transit station” to union with Greece (Enosis) for the Greeks and to partition (Taksim) or total Turkish occupation for the Turks.
“I do solemnly affirm faith to, and respect for, the Constitution and the laws made thereunder, the preservation of the independence and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus”. This is the oath taken by the leaders: this is the oath of all Cypriots – Greeks and Turks.
The President of the Republic, however, in December 1963 attempted to redraft and amend the Constitution, to which he had pledged his allegiance. Furthermore the House of Representatives (consisting of Greek Cypriots only at the time) voted unanimously on June 27, 1967 that “it will not defer the struggle, presently carried out with the solidarity of all Greeks, until the union, without any intermediary stations, of the whole unified Cyprus with motherland Greece is implemented” (Minutes of the House of Representatives 1966-1967, page 1274).
On the other side of the fence, the Turkish Cypriots, through extremist and unlawful organisations ( in parallel to the Greek Cypriot ones), were trying to overturn the constitutional order and achieve partition.
We really had beautiful people in Cyprus in those years, fully dedicated to their motherland! A motherland in which they never believed – they employed all possible methods to exterminate her… A feat they eventually achieved.
The mentality of many people remains unaltered since then. As I wrote in the past, the more we suffer the less we learn in this country.
Each community has built its own cause through its own separate angle. It firmly believes that justice and principles are on its own side. And each one has erected its own ideological castle along the following lines:
Greek Cypriot case:
THEY fought in 1955-59 for union with Greece, a venerable and sacred right. In 1960, they were compelled to veer to independence, which however was not just and balanced. So, they endeavoured to make the necessary corrections in 1963, keeping alive, in parallel, their irrepressible desire for union with Greece. In the meantime the Turkish Cypriots kept undermining the Cyprus Republic and they revolted in 1963. Later on, the treacherous junta came to power in Greece. It destabilised Makarios and together with EOKA B carried out the coup in 1974. Turkey invaded and brought havoc to Cyprus, to this day occupying 37 per cent of the territory of the Republic. There are currently around 1,500 Greek Cypriot missing persons. The various Plans of the United Nations cannot be accepted because they do not safeguard in a just way the rights of the Greek Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriots and Turkey are to blame for whatever goes wrong in Cyprus.
Turkish Cypriot case:
THE Greek Cypriots fought in 1955-59 for union with Greece, ignoring the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. Eventually the Republic of Cyprus was established, which the Greek Cypriots incessantly undermined. In 1963, Makarios tried to destroy the constitutional order. In the 1960s the Turkish Cypriots were forced to live in enclaves and the Greek Cypriots were aiming at their annihilation. In 1974 the Greek Cypriots and the Greek Junta tried to achieve union with Greece through the coup d’?tat. Turkey intervened to save the Turkish Cypriots but still many of them perished and 500 are missing. Because of the above, the Turkish Cypriots believe that the two communities must live apart under a very loose federation. The Greek Cypriots and Greece are to blame for whatever goes wrong in Cyprus.
In general terms the international community kept a distance from both communities. It recognised on the one hand the Republic of Cyprus under the leadership of the Greek Cypriots. On the other hand, through its stance and resolutions, it supported pragmatic positions which are not palatable to many Cypriots.
When it comes to justice, what are really the criteria that apply in this world? A world where you have the Gaza Strip, Darfour and the 40,000 children who die of hunger every day on the one hand and the mega-yachts and the provocative abundance, waste and luxury on the other.
Where has justice prevailed in real terms, so that Cyprus can seek to have it as well? And what constitutes justice in this unjust world?
It is in this unstable atmosphere that the talks are carried out in Cyprus. And although I am not conversant with all details, I would make some preliminary remarks on what is under negotiation:
1. I do not believe that the Greek Cypriot position of electing the President and the Vice President on a single list by the whole electorate is correct and sustainable. In such a case the Greek Cypriots will determine who the Turkish Cypriot President/ Vice President will be, because they constitute the majority of the electorate. Such a Greek Cypriot privilege did not exist even in the 1960 constitution.
2. The Turkish Cypriot side cannot insist that Turkey should have the right to a military intervention in Cyprus, which is a member of the European Union and to which Turkey aspires to accede. Besides, such a “right” is prohibited by the United Nations Charter and by European laws and regulations. Under such an arrangement shall we not legalise the aggression of one state against another?
3. As far as the question of property rights are concerned, I believe that neither the absolute positions of Talat nor those of Christofias will lead anywhere. There are many resolutions of the United Nations which propose a methodology on this issue. But most importantly we have the 1977 Makarios–Denktash Agreement, which provides that matters of principle, like “the right to property are open for discussion, taking into consideration the fundamental basis of a bicommunal federal system and certain practical difficulties which may arise for the Turkish Cypriot Community”. This Agreement, if there is good faith, may constitute the golden mean.
Aeschylus said that “when one listens to one of two sides, he learns only half the truth”. Christofias and Talat must listen carefully to each other and seek justice after taking into account the arguments, the mistakes, the omissions and the sins of all Cypriots. Otherwise, Cyprus will remain divided into two parts, which does not serve the interests of either the Greek or the Turkish Cypriots.
n Nicos Rolandis was Cyprus’ Foreign Minister from 1978-1983 and the Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism from 1998-2003
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