Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot Leader Dimitris Christifias continued their discussions on the property issue yesterday.

The meeting lasted over three hours and included a tete-a-tete lasting over an hour and a half.

The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Cyprus Taye-Brooke Zerihoun said that the leaders held extensive discussions on the property issue and that they will come together again on the 5th of March to continue these discussions.

On his return to the Presidential Palace, Mr Talat said discussions on the property issue would most probably concluded next week and that they would move on to EU matters.

The President said he had put forward his views regarding the `Property Committees` and that the Greek Cypriot side were expected to put forward its views on the issue at their next meeting.

When asked to provide more detailed information about the `property committees`, the President said once a solution has been reached on the Cyprus issue, regulations on the property issue will be made by `property committees` in line with the set of rules the two sides agreed.

Asked his view regarding Christofias’s statement on the property issue, the President said ‘we made clear it clear from the very beginning that we respect the right of ownership’.

Mr Talat added that the Greek Cypriot Side has been insisting that the owners of a property should take the final decision on their properties and that they should be satisfied with compensation or similar methods.

`The views of the property owner will surely be heard`, the President said, adding that the Turkish Cypriot Side has been insisting that the final decision should be taken in line with the criteria agreed.

The President was also asked to comment on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights which has approved the decisions taken by the TRNC Courts.

Mr Talat pointed out that the TRNC courts have been recognized as a domestic remedy from the very beginning.

He reminded that the ECHR characterized the Immovable Property Commission set up in North Cyprus as a positive step.

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Transcript of Remarks by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Tayé-Brook Zerihoun Following the 25 February Meeting

Good afternoon. The two leaders had a one hour forty five minute tête-à-tête and then continued their discussions on the criteria for the settlement of the property issue. They have decided to continue these discussions next Thursday, 5 March. After that they have decided to move on to discuss EU matters.

Question:
Why have they not gotten into the substantive issues of property and are still having discussions on the criteria?

Answer:
They started off exchanging views on the principles that should guide the discussions. They have been discussing for the last two weeks or so the criteria to define the parameters under which the discussions should continue. After that they will make a decision whether those discussions will continue in other fora.

Question:
Why this?

Answer:
You have to ask them that.

Question:
What fora?

Answer:
Within the framework of the talks.

Question:
Maybe with Mr. Nami and Mr. Iacovou?

Answer:
With the necessary support and expertise, yes, that could be one option. I don’t know.

UNFICYP