Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

Turkey endorses UN-led efforts to broker political settlement in Cyprus

23 September 2008 – Turkish President Abdullah Gül today offered his country’s full backing to United Nations-led diplomatic negotiations aimed at reunifying the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
In an address to the opening day of the General Assembly’s annual high-level debate, Mr. Gül said “we welcome and firmly support the comprehensive settlement negotiations” that recently began between Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

“The solution lies at the establishment of a new partnership State composed of two constituent states of equal status,” he said. “The process towards this goal should be based on the UN parameters of bizonality and political equality of the two sides.”

The full-fledged negotiations between Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat, which began earlier this month, are slated to resume on 8 October, with an initial focus on issues of governance and power-sharing.

In May, Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat committed to a partnership that will comprise a Federal Government with a single international identity, along with a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which will be of equal status.

The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has been in place on the island since 1964 after the outbreak of inter-communal violence. It is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to a return to normal conditions and the maintenance of law and order.

Mr. Gül added in his speech that he believed it was “long overdue to end the unfair isolation of the Turkish Cypriots who voted courageously in favour of the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan in 2004 – the Plan which was unfortunately rejected by the other side.”



Cyprus: UN plays key role in determining future, General Assembly hears
24 September 2008 – The United Nations plays a crucial role in helping the Mediterranean island of Cyprus move forward towards a “bizonal, bicommunal federation” through its assistance in inter-Cypriot negotiations and its definition of the framework of the future Cypriot State, President Demetris Christofias told the General Assembly today.
Although most of the numerous Security Council and Assembly resolutions regarding Cyprus have “regrettably” not been implemented, Mr. Christofias said that they nonetheless provided the country with “the sword and shield that has ensured that it has remained and will continue to remain an undivided independent country, with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality.”

Such resolutions also set up the Secretary-General’s good offices for Cyprus, which assisted and supported negotiations between the two sides.

“Good offices is not arbitration. It is not mediation,” the President said. “Recent experience has shown that any attempt to impose – even import – non-Cypriot-inspired and improvised models will meet with rejection by the Cypriot people.”

Further, Council resolutions also provide the legal and political framework for Cyprus, he noted, one which embodies the principle of political equality between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in all federal organs.

This arrangement “represents a compromise and indeed the only possible compromise on which a political arrangement can be built,” Mr. Christofias said. “Relevant resolutions of the Security Council as well as the Constitution of Cyprus exclude partition, secession or union with any other country.”

Recalling his own background as an internally displaced person (IDP) following fighting in 1974, he assured the delegates at the Assembly’s annual high-level debate that is “political will to do what is necessary to solve the problem is firm and deep-rooted.”

The President expressed his determination to work with Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, to agree on what Cypriots want.

“But this is not enough for reaching a solution,” he said, calling on Turkey – which he said has more than 40,000 troops and “tens of thousands of settlers” on the island – to take an active role.

“We believe that the solution should benefit everybody and will benefit everybody,” Mr. Christofias said. “It would allow the Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to live together and work together in an independent prosperous country, within the family of the European Union, without the presence of foreign armies and illegal colonists under conditions of security and respect for their identity and their rights.”

After making a “fruitful” start earlier this month, according to the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Alexander Downer, talks between Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat aimed at reunifying Cyprus will resume next month.

The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has been in place on the island since 1964 after the outbreak of inter-communal violence. It is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to a return to normal conditions and the maintenance of law and order.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?N ... Cr1=debate

[humanist]

Interesting to read Gul referring to Talat Turkish Cypriot Leader ....... wonder why he has not addressed him as president talat?

[zan]

Interesting to read Gul referring to Talat Turkish Cypriot Leader ....... wonder why he has not addressed him as president talat?

Man o man......You really got it bad aint ya.....

[humanist]

perhaps am seeing things for what they are. Turkey uses and abuses Turkish speaking Cypriots each and every day of their existence. Which may I ad is fast approaching an end. And because I am an educated inividual and value the influence TC's have had in the evolution of the Cypriot culture as I know it I think, its bloody sad.

The worse thing about it. I don't know why I care what happens to you.

[zan]

perhaps am seeing things for what they are. Turkey uses and abuses Turkish speaking Cypriots each and every day of their existence. Which may I ad is fast approaching an end. And because I am an educated inividual and value the influence TC's have had in the evolution of the Cypriot culture as I know it I think, its bloody sad.

The worse thing about it. I don't know why I care what happens to you.

You don't .....You are self centered oik that only cares for Greek propaganda that he has tattooed in his head and thinks that is al there is to Cyprus. You care more about what YOU want and not what is good for Cyprus......I had you sussed long ago mate...You are an egomaniac with the biggest ME ME ME attitude there is on the Forum..I thought GR was bad but you take the biscuit...Now spare us your false tears and go look in a mirror or something!!!

[humanist]

Zan

You don't .....You are self centered oik that only cares for Greek propaganda that he has tattooed in his head and thinks that is al there is to Cyprus. You care more about what YOU want and not what is good for Cyprus......I had you sussed long ago mate...You are an egomaniac with the biggest ME ME ME attitude there is on the Forum..I thought GR was bad but you take the biscuit...Now spare us your false tears and go look in a mirror or something!!!

ooooohhhhhhh I feel the scratches

[zan]

Zan

You don't .....You are self centered oik that only cares for Greek propaganda that he has tattooed in his head and thinks that is al there is to Cyprus. You care more about what YOU want and not what is good for Cyprus......I had you sussed long ago mate...You are an egomaniac with the biggest ME ME ME attitude there is on the Forum..I thought GR was bad but you take the biscuit...Now spare us your false tears and go look in a mirror or something!!!

ooooohhhhhhh I feel the scratches

See!!!! ME ME ME!!!!!

[humanist]

Zan, I cannot argue with you, ........ because your the queen of seeing through people you sprung me again

[zan]

Zan, I cannot argue with you, ........ because your the queen of seeing through people you sprung me again

Long time ago when you came up with the largest hare brained scheme in the world.....Build a peace park and that will solve all our problems....

[humanist]

I fail to see whya suggestion of building a peace park on the Island that is heading for unification, offends you so much or is it because your land sits slap bang in the middle of the Green Line and you don't want to let it go. Because its ok for Turks to take GC land but Zan can't loose out. And beside that I recomended compensation for those people.