Cyprus-Forum.com

[paliometoxo]

ANKARA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Thursday that a solution in Cyprus could be found under the framework of UN secretary general's goodwill mission, based on realities of the island and with a new partnership to be established by two equal communities and two founder countries.

Gul made the remarks at a joint press conference in Ankara after his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat ahead of peace talks on September 3 between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the Mediterranean island.

Gul said that it was important to be fair and that the new system should be functional and viable.

"We also think that it is right to continue guarantor status and we are insisted on it," said Gul, adding "not only Turkey, but also Greece is the guarantor in the island. This is an international agreement."

Pledging that Turkey would provide all kinds of support for upcoming peace talks, Gul said, "on the other hand, we will continue to fulfill our historical responsibility for the progress of Cyprus and peace and prosperity of Turkish Cypriot people."

For his part, Talat said that Turkish Cypriots would do their best to achieve a solution in 2008.

Talat said, "I hope September 3 process will assist solution of the problem," adding that Turkish Cypriots would be on the negotiation table with goodwill.

Talat said plan of the Turkish Cypriots was to achieve a solution through negotiations, and form a new partnership based on the political equality of Turkish and Greek Cypriot parties.

On March 21, Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias agreed to establish several working groups and technical committees towards a solution in the island.

On July 1, Christofias and Talat held talks on single sovereignty and citizenship, two key issues for future reunification negotiations.

On July 25, the two leaders decided to start comprehensive peace negotiations on September 3 to end years of tension in Cyprus.

The Greek Cypriots have recently underlined the importance of a clear common basis on which the two leaders will be able to launch full-fledged negotiations.

They maintained that a viable solution would be a federal united republic of Cyprus, bizonal and bicommunal, with one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality.

The Turkish Cypriot leadership stressed a reunited Cyprus should be established on "a Turkish Cypriot constituent state and a Greek Cypriot constituent state with political equality."

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish military intervened and controlled the north of the island following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the establishment of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Ankara.

Turkey maintains some 40,000 troops in the self-proclaimed "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which remains a key issue in the revived peace process aimed at reunifying the island.

For several decades, the UN has continuously worked to persuade the two communities to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, which is also a main obstacle to Turkey's EU membership ambitions.

[paliometoxo]

so much for september 3 talks, turkey will just demand two seperate states and keep demanding it ... how will anything good come froms eptember 3.. hope dimitris does not sell us out... he seems ok person, when i went to cut my hair i met him in nicosia i sat next to him getting my hair cut he had police guys in uniform outside the barbers, but this was before he was president

[michalis5354]

Did you have a hair cut in Figaro hair Saloon ?

[Oracle]

so much for september 3 talks, turkey will just demand two seperate states and keep demanding it ... how will anything good come froms eptember 3.. hope dimitris does not sell us out... he seems ok person, when i went to cut my hair i met him in nicosia i sat next to him getting my hair cut he had police guys in uniform outside the barbers, but this was before he was president

I wonder where President's get their hair cut? He has a fine head of hair.

Regardless, I agree with you Turkey is just full of bs and the EU has to seriously get involved, along with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in supporting President Christofias.

If the Turko-Ottomans are still making stuff up like ...

.... a solution in Cyprus could be found under the framework of UN secretary general's goodwill mission, based on realities of the island and with a new partnership to be established by two equal communities and two founder countries.

... as well as trying to maintain "guarantor status" of part of effectively what is the EU ... then they have no intentions of a fair and just solution and aim only to keep gaining.

[pantheman]

I guess we now have the right to start bleating about comments being made before the talks to disrupt any possible solution.

Absolute hypocrits, ok for them to make these commenst but not for us.

I hope Alekcen and Bananiot are listening, because their mother is calling.

And they expect US to trust THEM! and they say that THEY want the safe guards. FFS, someone tell me another fairytale please, I am starting to puke here.

[Magnus]

The Turkish Cypriot leadership stressed a reunited Cyprus should be established on "a Turkish Cypriot constituent state and a Greek Cypriot constituent state with political equality."

So they want a separate state based on ethnic divisions. How convenient.

[eracles]

"The Turkish Cypriot leadership stressed a reunited Cyprus should be based on two separate countries masquerading as one"

[paliometoxo]

Did you have a hair cut in Figaro hair Saloon ?

It was the one in ledras, not sure what its called but all the foreign girls work there russian or romanian whatever they are with some old guys who sit back and watch tv..

"The Turkish Cypriot leadership stressed a reunited Cyprus should be based on two separate countries masquerading as one"

yes a re united land with two states.. :S

we need tassos back he sees through the rubbish of the turks and knows exactly how to play them. dimitris will give in to their demands and hope turkey throws us a bone... which they will just keep taking and never give back anything

also notice he says This is an international agreement." he takes part of the agreements that suite him and screw the rest, like nowhere in the 1960 agreement does it mention two seperate states.. its like a pick and mix for turkey

[humanist]

I think whilst the TC's are burning their candles in a unification peace march then perhaps somone needs to be reading out the Turkish perspective on the issue and Christofias may as well be sitting at the pub enjoying a beer because I doubt that a referendum on two separate countries on the Island is the solution the GC's will vote for.

Status quo to remain for the time being until Turkey gives the green light to free the TC's from its oppressive stance.

[Nikitas]

If oil is discovered south of Cyprus then you will see a radical about face on this "separate states" crap. They are already rumbling about both communities having rights over the resources of the island. Heads I win tails you lose type of approach. Bazaar mentality at its best.

Now look at map of the area, see Cyprus as a nation with two states on it and draw in the countinental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zones for each separate nation and see the relative sizes of these two separate countries. And now think again about partition.

In the past partition was judged only according to the loss it represented for GCs. Now there is the other side, the gain represented if oil is in fact present in the south of Cyprus. Suddenly partition is not all negative, and as this sinks in Turkey changes its tune and the TCs who have been clamoring for recognition will change their tack. You wait and see how the TCs will oppose partition from now on.

I am betting that if oil is found they will set up a special "commission" which will forcibly kick out foreigners who bought GC property and will seek out the original owners and force them to take their land back with full compensation. All this inorder to have a share of the oil.