President Mehmet Ali Talat has said that comprehensive negotiations on the Cyprus Problem could start after April this year.
President Talat also underlined the need to solve the Cyprus Problem before the end of 2008.
The President was speaking with a group of reporters on the AKIS program, broadcast on BRT’s first channel
Speaking on the program, the President said that it was possible for the UN Secretary General to take on a new initiative on the Cyprus Problem in line with a report to be prepared by a UN mission expected to arrive on the island next month.
Stating that the new partnership state that would emerge after a possible solution would be a virgin birth, the President warned that a failure to establish a new partnership state would result in the assimilation of the Turkish Cypriot people into the Greek Cypriot State.
Explaining that he had not yet found a chance to exchange views with the newly elected Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and therefore had no knowledge of his policies on the Cyprus Issue, the President said that the best thing to do was give Mr. Christofias time to determine his policies.
Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot Side’s polices on the Cyprus Issue were clear and that the Annan Plan Annan Plan would be a fundamental reference during the talks, President Talat said that the international isolations on the Turkish Cypriot people could only be completely removed following a comprehensive settlement on the island.
“In any case it is our absolute desire for the isolations to be removed” he said, adding that this was something the Turkish Cypriot Side wished independent of a solution.
The President pointed out that such a move would serve to build mutual trust between the two communities.
The President also added that it was out of the question for Turkey to open its ports to Greek Cypriot registered vessels before the removal of the international isolations on North Cyprus.