Clinton’s invitation to Talat
Ahead of the forthcoming visit of new U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama to Ankara and Istanbul between April 5 and 7, the American capital will be hosting an important guest from the eastern Mediterranean Island of Cyprus, Mehmet Ali Talat, the president of the Turkish Cypriot state.
The visit of Talat will be of great importance. First of all, the Turkish Cypriot president will become one of the first senior foreign dignitaries to visit the American capital since the inauguration of the Obama administration last Jan. 20. Secondly, the visit will be taking place ahead of the visit to Turkey by Obama. As Cyprus will be one of the important items on the agenda of the Ankara and Istanbul meetings of Obama with Turkish leaders, the visit of Talat to Washington will thus provide him a golden opportunity of presenting his views on the Cyprus problem as well as the ongoing negotiations process between him and his Greek Cypriot counterpart, Demetris Christofias, for a resolution of the over four decades old problem of power sharing between the two peoples of the island and reuniting it in a federal, which unfortunately appears not advancing so well. Third, the visit will be taken at the invitation of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Talat is scheduled to have a meeting with Clinton on the morning of March 30. Of course, Clinton will be meeting Talat as a "representative of the Turkish Cypriot community," that is with the title Talat has been attending the settlement talks with Christofias. Still, the invitation sparked strong irritation in the Greek Cypriot side, partly because of the strong pledge Clinton made during her Ankara visit earlier this month that the United States will work together with Turkey to bring an end to the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot populated northern Cyprus.
A very strong message
Reports from Washington indicate that the Obama administration does not subscribe to the conviction that the Cyprus problem has become one of the chronic problems, a settlement of which is intractable. On the contrary, partly encouraged with the 2004 approval of a United Nations sponsored peace plan, or the so-called Annan Plan, by the Turkish Cypriot people and the strong political will in northern Cyprus since then for a settlement though the UN plan went down the drain because of the Greek Cypriot "Oxi" or "No" vote in the 2004 referenda, the Cyprus issue apparently placed by the Obama administration on the top of the list of "soluble important issues." Indeed, while there has been almost no progress on any of the major issues between the two sides in the talks that have been continuing for the past several months, international prominent advisers are working behind the scenes to help out Alexander Downer, the UN secretary-general’s special envoy on the island, to facilitate the talks with alternate suggestions on those hot potato issues and thus keep the process continuing. In contrast to the Annan Plan process and the direct interference of the then UN special envoy, Alvero de Soto, Downer has so far limited his participation to the process with one facilitating the process.
Talat, however, has been demanding the UN play a more active role in the process and has been declaring his readiness to accept the UN envoy play the role of arbitrator. He has been demanding a timetable for the process and stressing that he could accept the UN step in at a certain point and fill in the remaining gaps, as was the case during the Annan Plan process. Christofias rejects such probabilities and Downer is cool to Talat’s approaches saying the Annan Plan failed because of such interference and he would not repeat it. However, the Greek Cypriot leader does not appear willing to walk the road of reproaching to any of the key demands of the Turkish Cypriot people, like power sharing on the basis of political equality of the two peoples, partnership in sovereignty, partnership in sovereignty of the constituent states, without being prodded by the UN, or by some outside important power, such as the U.S..
On the other hand, despite their declared pro-settlement resolve in the 2004 referendum and despite all the pledges from the European Union and the United States, the continued isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people has led to a very strong frustration that may bring the end of the pro-talks government in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the coming April 19 parliamentary elections.
Clinton’s invitation, thus, might be a "life kiss" for Talat, his Republican Turks’ Party and the federal settlement hopes. Though I am afraid it came too late, better late than never.
Report by YUSUF KANLI - Hurriyet News
