Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

The leader of northern Cyprus, Mehmet Ali Talat, appealed yesterday to the international community to pressure the Greek side to resume negotiations in good faith.

In a meeting with journalists in İstanbul, Talat warned of a sense of despair that had descended over the divided island as it drifts towards permanent division. However, he admitted it would be folly to expect progress towards a settlement in the run-up to presidential elections in the southern Republic of Cyprus scheduled for February.
With three candidates running neck and neck in a highly competitive race, no single one could be seen making compromises towards the Turkish north, according to Talat. Face-to-face talks last week with the incumbent, President Tassos Papadopoulos, had made little progress and his proposal to set up joint committees to prepare for "full-fledged negotiations" had been flatly turned down. Talat's objective had been to establish five working groups to tackle the sensitive but well-rehearsed issues of governance, property, security, territories and EU affairs; the groups would have reported back in 75 days. He said if talks began after the presidential contest, they might reach a conclusion by the end of 2008.

Mr. Papadopoulos had argued for more limited and open-ended preparations, saying that if negotiations were to end in a deadlock, this would lead to the permanent division of the island. This, Mr Talat said, "was going back to square one." He expressed little optimism that a solution was now possible. He said that specially commissioned opinion polls showed that 60 percent of northern Cypriots favored a two-state solution as long as this entailed international recognition. Support for annexation by Turkey, he described as less than negligible. He said, however, that he was still committed to a federal solution.

Talat described the political reality on the Greek side as tacitly committed to a permanent division of the island even if was politically anathema to admit it so openly. He said the border traffic between north and south had paradoxically increased a sense of isolation between the two communities. Both Greeks and Turks began to realize that neither side was hungry for unification, and when they crossed the checkpoint felt as if they were going into another country. Turks are happy to go on shopping expeditions to the other side and Greeks also do some tourism, but that is as far as the interaction goes.

The Turkish Cypriot leader's one hope of breaking the logjam was from joint pressure from the EU and the UN. He said that with Cyprus and Greece both EU members it was impossible to achieve a settlement under European auspices but that it was up to Brussels to keep the pressure on.

Still, Talat called the cost of the north's political isolation "very high." It has created a pessimistic mindset which no amount of economic prosperity can offset. He said that he himself was in part responsible for raising false expectations. "I was the one who convinced our people that a solution is the most important thing. Some-times I blame myself, but this is the reality."

11.09.2007

ANDREW FINKEL İSTANBUL

[the_snake_and_the_crane]

More bullshit from Talat as per usual.

The Turks steal part of our country and homes, make 200,000 people refugees and they want us to give in to their concessions. Typical Turks.

[Viewpoint]

More bullshit from Talat as per usual.

The Turks steal part of our country and homes, make 200,000 people refugees and they want us to give in to their concessions. Typical Turks.

Did they do this cause they felt lets annoy the GCs one sunny morning?

[paliometoxo]

37% of the iusland doesent belong to turks 18% does.. and now u people want the whole 37% as ur recognised state... all u turks do is take take then demand more..

exactly the_snake_and_the_crane ur right.

[phoenix]

More bullshit from Talat as per usual.

The Turks steal part of our country and homes, make 200,000 people refugees and they want us to give in to their concessions. Typical Turks.

Did they do this cause they felt lets annoy the GCs one sunny morning?

No, not one sunny morning . . . they had been trying to achieve it since at least 1957.

[phoenix]

37% of the iusland doesent belong to turks 18% does.. and now u people want the whole 37% as ur recognised state... all u turks do is take take then demand more..

exactly the_snake_and_the_crane ur right.

No way does any % of Cyprus belong to the Turks.

One whole Cyprus for the Native Cypriot people, and if the "Turks-born-on-Cyprus" behave in a more civilized way they may stay.

[Kikapu]

The leader of northern Cyprus, Mehmet Ali Talat, appealed yesterday to the international community to pressure the Greek side to resume negotiations in good faith.

In a meeting with journalists in İstanbul, Talat warned of a sense of despair that had descended over the divided island as it drifts towards permanent division.

Talat seems to be spending more time in Turkey than in the "TRNC".

Why does it seem to me that he is more over there than he is "at home".??
Is it because there's not too much to do "at home" or else he has no other places to go to.??

Perhaps Halil can answer my questions??................It's worth a try.

As to what happened in last weeks September 5th negotiations in Nicosia, you can get the "full scoop" here.!!!

http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=13198

[Get Real!]

Talat: Solution on Cyprus impossible until election

Given that "solution" means something very unique to Talat, isn't his statement based on the assumptions that TP will lose and that the new president will act favorably towards the "TRNC"?

[Viewpoint]

Talat gave a great interview on NTV today, he says that the GCs have no real desire for a solution as they are in the EU and have no intention of working for a speedy solution and they reject any mention of timetables.

This meeting showed the world that the issue is near enough unsolvable and other methods should be used to resolve what has become an isolation issue on people who do not deserve it and have been promised that it will be removed but to no avail even the EU has let the TC people down.

[paliometoxo]

well its turkeys fault for invading and putting themselvs in that situation now u complain about something u turks did to urselvs... stupid