11.14.2008

DOWNER OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE RESULT OF CYPRUS NEGOTIATIONS

UN Secretary General’s Special envoy Aleksander Downer said yesterday he he believed Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders will broker a reunification deal despite difficult negotiations.

"If these problems were easy to solve they would have been solved a long time ago," Downer said after meeting President Demetris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot leader.

"But the political will has to be there above all to solve the problem in Cyprus, and I think the two leaders do have that political will and inevitably the details of the negotiations are going to be from time to time difficult."

On the other hand President Mehmet Ali Talat met with Downer yesterday but no comment made forewards or afterwards.

President Talat and Greek Cypriot Administration Leader Dimitris Hristofias will meet again today.

AVCI: EU SHOULD PUT PRESSURE ON GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE FOR A SOLUTION IN CYPRUS

Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcı stated that for obtaining a positive result from the negotiations between President Talat and Greek Cypriot Administration Leader Dimitris Hristofias, EU should put a pressure on the Greek Cypriot Side by saying that this is the last chance for a solution.

Within the framework of his contacts in Stockholm Minister Avcı pointed out that Turkish side is commited to achieving a new partnership based on a bizonal, bicommunal solution with equal status of the two founding states and political equality as agreed between two leaders. He also added that Turkish Cypriot Side has the will to reach a solution as early as possible.

Avcı underlined that Turkish Cypriots has shown their will to a settlement with their ‘Yes’ vote in the seperate and simultaneous referanda held in 2004 on the island. However the EU has failed to materialize its Direct Trade regulation and Financial Aid Regulation faced Greek Cypiot blokage.

ERCAKICA: ‘GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE’S PROPOSALS NEGATIVELY

AFFECT PROCESS ’

Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakıca reported that while the Greek Cypriot Administration submits proposals “to gain bargaining position” at the negotiation table at the same time executes smear campaigns against the Turkish Cypriot thesis on the international stage and introduces its own thesis. Ercakıca stated that this campaign would negatively affect the efficiency of the negotiation process.

Ercakıca said “ these methods are not efficient methods to lead the negotiation process to a solution”. Instead of these methods, the Greek Cypriot side should submit realistic proposals on the negotiation table and should maintain an efficiency increasing attitude’.

Being reminded the words of Christofias- ‘ Our philosopohy is different from the Turkish Cypriot side’s philosophy. Turkish Cypriots want confederation’, Presidential Spokesman Ercakıca said ‘Turkish Cypriot side’s attitude and approachment philosophy are very clear.”

International community demanded one point from the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot people together. This is ‘Cyprus should be structured in such a way that it could be treated as a unique state in the international arena. We can define it as a state with a unique international identity’.

Adding that this issue has been determined during the preparatory process, Ercakıca said that if a state had a a unique international identity, it can not be called as a confederation but a federation. And in case of a solution, it must be known that Turkish Cypriots can not administrate the Greek Cypriots and Greek Cypriots can not administrate the Turkish Cypriots’.

No comments: