Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

TALAT - CYPRUS PROBLEM
President Mehmet Ali Talat has said that it was important that Turkish Cypriots will not be dominated by Greek Cypriots in the likelihood of a federal settlement.

He said that the Turkish Cypriot Side’s aim at the current negotiations was to ensure that Turkish Cypriots will have an equal say within the central federal government to be created.

The President’s words came during a conference last night on the latest stage reached in the Cyprus negotiations process.

Speaking during a conference organized by the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce yesterday evening, the President reminded that they had completed the first chapter in the negotiations, governance and power sharing.

Pointing out that several disagreements with the Greek Cypriot side still existed on the issue, the President said that most of the differences emerged at points where the Greek Cypriot Side moved outside established UN parameters.

He expressed the hope that the existing differences will be solved during the second phase of the negotiation process.

Stating that a four to one representation within the federal government according to the population ratio will mean that Turkish Cypriots will be dominated within the new partnership, President Talat said that this was unacceptable for the Turkish Cypriot Side.

“We have no objection with extending the authorities of the federal government on the condition that the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ existence within the federal government become more visible” he stressed, adding that the Turkish Cypriot Side’s aim was to ensure that Turkish Cypriots will have a proper say within the central government to be created.

Commenting on the property issue, the President said that he had wanted to leave the ‘thorny’ issue of property for later but was left with no choice but to accept the Greek Cypriot Side’s demands to take up the issue next because the Turkish Cypriot Side had chosen the first chapter to be discussed.

Stating that his concerns regarding the property issue had been verified, Talat said that serious differences existed between the two side’s positions regarding the settlement of the issue.

He nevertheless stated that agreement had been reached on settling property disputes through compensation, restitution or exchange.

Pointing out that there won’t be much to discuss on the property issue once the two sides put forward their positions on the issue, Talat said that there was a good possibility the next issue to be taken up will be decided at the next meeting.

Referring to Greek Cypriot claims that the Turkish Cypriot Side desired a confederal settlement based on two separate states, President Talat said that this was in contradiction with UN parameters and was absolutely unacceptable.

“This is not what the Turkish Cypriot Side desires. These claims are false. Our goal is to reach a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal settlement based on the political equality of the two sides” he reiterated.

Noting that they wanted to create a partnership in which the two constituent states were equal, Talat said “We want two constituent states with a federal government that will allow the new partnership to have a single international identity and voice” he said.

The President said that the constituent states should have all authorities for the exception of those concerning the state’s international matters.

“In other words the constituent states should have more authority than the federal government. That is the general trend around the world with the federated states earning more autonomy over time” the President concluded.

[halil]

POLITICAL PARTIES EXPRESS THEIR WILL FOR A BI-ZONAL FEDERATION

Leaders and representatives of some Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties have held another routine round-table meeting.

The party officials gathered as part of their monthly meetings organized by the Slovakian Embassy.

The meeting took place at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the UN-controlled buffer zone and was hosted by the Greek Cypriot DIKO party.

The parties exchanged views on the solution of the Cyprus problem.

`They aspire to a bi-zonal, bi-communal Cyprus with political equality as defined by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, reached through negotiations of the two leaders, free of foreign influence` said a statement read out by the Slovakian Ambassador Anna Tourenikova.

[insan]

“This is not what the Turkish Cypriot Side desires. These claims are false. Our goal is to reach a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal settlement based on the political equality of the two sides” he reiterated.

Numerous times we made it clear that we won't give up political equality of 2 communities but it seems there's either an effort to create an impression that TCs want a confederation thus partition or they try to create an impression that TCs r intransigent so that to blame us failure of the solution talks.

[Kifeas]

“This is not what the Turkish Cypriot Side desires. These claims are false. Our goal is to reach a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal settlement based on the political equality of the two sides” he reiterated.

Numerous times we made it clear that we won't give up political equality of 2 communities but it seems there's either an effort to create an impression that TCs want a confederation thus partition or they try to create an impression that TCs r intransigent so that to blame us failure of the solution talks.

Excuse me, Mr. Insan, but the TCs never say that they want political equality of the two communities, but they always refer to political equality of the two sides, and by this they refer to two "people" as two separate "nation-state" entities. You will never read in your press the term communities; neither you accept that the two leaders negotiating, do so in their capacity as leaders of the two communities, but instead as the leaders of the Greek Cypriot “administration” and the “TRNC.” Learn first the semantics your leadership uses, before making claims as to what they are after, and what not, and you can do so by taking a simple look in your press and your leader’s statements!

[bill cobbett]

Insan and indeed Halil......

When you've done dealing with K's point above can you give an idea, by way of a real world model of what you mean by this "political equality" for further consideration.

Perhaps a list of nation states elsewhere in Europe or in the rest of the World where an 18% minority is politically equal to the 82% majority on the other side.....

[insan]

“This is not what the Turkish Cypriot Side desires. These claims are false. Our goal is to reach a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal settlement based on the political equality of the two sides” he reiterated.

Numerous times we made it clear that we won't give up political equality of 2 communities but it seems there's either an effort to create an impression that TCs want a confederation thus partition or they try to create an impression that TCs r intransigent so that to blame us failure of the solution talks.

Excuse me, Mr. Insan, but the TCs never say that they want political equality of the two communities, but they always refer to political equality of the two sides, and by this they refer to two "people" as two separate "nation-state" entities. You will never read in your press the term communities; neither you accept that the two leaders negotiating, do so in their capacity as leaders of the two communities, but instead as the leaders of the Greek Cypriot “administration” and the “TRNC.” Learn first the semantics your leadership uses, before making claims as to what they are after, and what not, and you can do so by taking a simple look in your press and your leader’s statements!

It is true that TCs use all of the above mentioned terms depending various circumstances. I need to do a research when Denktash first time used "2 people" instead of "2 communities". I guess it shouldn't be before 1983. As for the Talat, he mostly use the term "2 commnities", sometimes "2 sides" and sometimes directly he says " 2 people" depending how he treated at the negotiations. If he was treated like a "puppet" of Turkey or leader of the TC minority; he retaliates by using the terms that GC leadership don't like. I many times came across with such cases. U too please follow his speeches, u will notice, too.

It is a known fact that, for Talat "RoC" is an illegal entity that i totally agree.

On the other hand, TC press use the above mentioned terms according to their political stances. It is true and I'm aware.

What about what terms used by GC press and GC politicians including Christofias? The dominant political stance of GC political parties and GC press is based on these terms: "Cypriots", "political equality of citizens", "Turkish minority", "True democracy" etc. In TC community, at least there is a large group of people who use the term "2 communities" but in GC community there is none. Is there?

[insan]

Insan and indeed Halil......

When you've done dealing with K's point above can you give an idea, by way of a real world model of what you mean by this "political equality" for further consideration.

Perhaps a list of nation states elsewhere in Europe or in the rest of the World where an 18% minority is politically equal to the 82% majority on the other side.....

I many times explained it on this forum that what I meant with "political equality of 2 main communities" is a consociational governance structure which could make us to respect each others rights; political, social, economical and ethnic discripencies instead of tyranny of the major and rival ethnic group, namely GCs.

In TC community, there's no one that consider EOKA as freedom fighters none even among the small minority of TC far left. Why should they comply with the GC majority by force? It is a fact that, there's no Cypriot nation on Cyprus no matter how hard some politicians and political groups exert to pretend that it exists; they become too ridiculous when they refer to Cypriot nation on one hand and then on the other hand they talk about Hellenism, national interests and national cause.

U ask list of nation states elsewhere in Europe or in the rest of the world where an 18% minority is politically equal to the 82% majority on the other side... U, list me the nation states elsewhere in Europe or in the rest of the world where an 18% minority with a different language, religion, never been a minority in it's homeland, struggled to stay alive against a rival majority and maintained it's existence in a unitary state. There's none. There r many consociational democracies, federations and unitary states world wide that unique to their own circumstances.

In Cyprus, the case is not one of the serb minority vs GC majority or Pakistani majority vs TC minority. Neither it is South Korea vs North Korea nor West Germany vs East Germany. U get what i mean?

[bill cobbett]

You are the one making the proposal, it's down to you to clarify your position. As it stands your "solution" is at the very least ambiguous and open to a ridiculous amount of interpretation (some talk of 2 states, some of 2 peoples, some of 2 communities) so an existing example would be of great help.

Anyway, look Insan old chap/chapess. Don't give us a list. Give us just one so that we get a better idea of what you are promoting. A single one, just one, for our better understanding of your position.

[insan]

You are the one making the proposal, it's down to you to clarify your position. As it stands your "solution" is at the very least ambiguous and open to a ridiculous amount of interpretation (some talk of 2 states, some of 2 peoples, some of 2 communities) so an existing example would be of great help.

Anyway, look Insan old chap/chapess. Don't give us a list. Give us just one so that we get a better idea of what you are promoting. A single one, just one, for our better understanding of your position.

I clearly mentioned and well explained everything in my above post. If u still couldn't get what is what, sorry i can't make u further explanation. There's none because there's no any other communities that have the same or even similar historical, geographical, ethnical background that we have. Hope u got it grandpa. Now it's ur turn to gimme some ideas of what i asked in my previous post.