Cyprus-Forum.com

[Main_Source]

...or does he just like saying 'NO' to GC and running to the press all the time? How is he supposed to command respect when he constantly does a 'kiss and tell' to the media???
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How the secret talks broke down
By Simon Bahceli

TURKISH Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat squarely blamed the Greek Cypriot side yesterday for the breakdown of “secret” talks in Brussels aimed at finding a compromise deal that would allow the implementation of an EU aid and trade package for the Turkish Cypriot north.

The Brussels talks, organised by Luxemburg’s current EU presidency, began in secrecy last week and continued until reaching stalemate yesterday evening. They centred on trying to find way to partially or fully implement an aid and trade package proposed by the EU commission in June last year. Implementation of the joint package has consistently been blocked by the Cypriot government on the grounds that allowing direct trade between the north and the EU would constitute recognition of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state.

“The discussions have ended without result,” Talat said yesterday.

“And we all know the reason for this: it is the Greek Cypriot insistence that direct trade would be tantamount to recognition. Of course, this is not the case.” he added.
Talat claimed his representatives in Brussels had shown “great flexibility” during discussions, but that despite this agreement could not be reached.

He also aimed thinly veiled criticism at the EU for what he described as its allowing the Greek Cypriots to block any EU initiative on Turkish Cypriots.

“The EU has to think very carefully about letting the Greek Cypriots have the last say on everything that happens regarding Cyprus, especially in the light of promises it made after the referendum that it would lift the isolation of the north.

“When the EU said it would lift the isolation, it was not said at the time that we would have to make trade-offs with the Greek Cypriots for this to happen,” Talat said.

According to sources at the EU Representation in Nicosia, the talks focused on a Greek Cypriot proposal that the closed town of Varosha be handed over to the Republic in return for the joint running of Famagusta port. The proposal was rejected by the Turkish Cypriot side.

Talat said yesterday the Turkish Cypriot side had rejected the proposal because such a deal was “not an exchange of things of equal value”.

The EU sources said the Turkish Cypriot side countered the Greek Cypriot proposal by suggesting that Varosha could be handed to the Greek Cypriots in return for the opening of all ports and airports in the north solely under Turkish Cypriot control, thereby allowing the north to trade directly with the EU without Greek Cypriot interference. This was rejected by the Greek Cypriot side.
The Greek Cypriots were also said to have put forward a proposal for a moratorium on building in the north on Greek Cypriot properties abandoned in the wake of the 1974 Turkish invasion. The EU sources said the Turkish Cypriots refused to do this, but presented a counter proposal saying they were willing to introduce “environmental restrictions” on construction that they said would achieve similar results to those desired by the Greek Cypriots. This proposal was rejected by the Greek Cypriots as being “insufficient”.

Talat explained the Turkish Cypriot rejection of the moratorium proposal by saying: “The property issue is something that has to be solved in the context of a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem, and it is not only us who says this. If they [the Greek Cypriots] want to solve this problem they should abide by the demands of the UN.”
The EU sources sought yesterday to salvage something positive from the talks by saying, “All sides at the meeting agreed that they had taken place in a positive atmosphere. It was not a fight.”

Talat, too, expressed pleasure that the meeting marked “the first time Turkish Cypriots were pitched face-to-face with the Greek Cypriots on an EU platform”.

A decision on whether talks on the aid and trade package will be reopened in the near future will now rest with the British who take over the EU presidency on July 1, but an EU source said yesterday Britain would probably seek to avoid it in order to appear neutral on the issue.

[cannedmoose]

Sourcey, the same could be said of TPap... he's not exactly reticent when it comes to spilling his guts to the media at every opportunity.

[brother]

Or crying like a baby, man that irritated me when tassos done that

[Main_Source]

come on...how many times do we see Talat aiming silly pot shots in at RoC in the press...and he is doing nothing to show he is sincere about reunification. He's always asking for more and more, instead of being sensible and taking small steps at a time.

Like the whole deal with the Varosha port...I thought that was fair and its not as if Turkey REALLY wants that area because they are willing to trade it....but instead if starting an official joint venture between GC and TC...Talat wants to open all ports in the north of TC only. I think the whole Varosha deal would have been better to build bridges between GC and TC, with all the exposure in the media and what not....but Talat wants to act like a spoilt child and not take things step by step and in moderation. What Talat is asking for is no way going to help things between the two communites...and is blatently a sign that he wants to start recognition of 'TRNC'.

and who said that he is doing things to step redevlopment of GC owned properties...he wont stop this at all and instead offered some silly guaranteed environment thing. Wat does that mean?

This guy is not making concessions for GC at all...and I still DO NOT believe he is the 'good guy' that TC make him out to be. He's just like another muppet of Turkey.

[Main_Source]

Secret talks collapse

By Bouli Hadjioannou

Nicosia and the Turkish Cypriot side yesterday traded accusations following a failed Luxembourg EU presidency initiative to forge consensus on an EU aid package for the Turkish-held north.

The consultations – on 259 m euros in aid and direct trade with the north, ended without result in Brussels on Wednesday night. The issue is now expected to be referred to the incoming British EU presidency.

The Luxembourg Presidency had brought together representatives from the Cyprus government, the Commission and the Turkish Cypriot community in a bid to forge consensus on a package which also brought in Famagusta.

President Papadopoulos said yesterday Turkish Cypriots had shown no goodwill on the two issues raised by the government – the return of the fenced city of Famagusta and a building moratorium on Greek Cypriot property in the north.

Nicosia had also proposed "restricted exports" of Turkish Cypriot goods covered by the Green Line regulation from Famagusta port. Under its proposal, the port would come under U N administration and be run by the two communities.

For their part, Turkish Cypriots blamed Greek Cypriots and said the EU should give them direct trade.

Nicosia has agreed to the EU’s 259m euro aid package for Turkish Cypriots since last autumn, but has adamantly rejected direct trade with the north as illegal.

"We have agreed to the 259m euros and have released the funds. But the Turkish side, supported by at least once country and perhaps another, was trying to use blackmail, saying they would not accept the money unless they also secure arrangements for so-called direct trade," the president said on his departure for Brussels.

Unless the Turkish Cypriots accept the money by the end of June, there was a risk it will be lost altogether, Papadopoulos said.

Direct trade was "clearly a political move" and not economically motivated, he added.

The Luxembourg presidency had put together a package for discussion in the informal talks after hearing Nicosia’s positions.

"The presidency and the Commission considered our demands reasonable and thought they could be combined with the talks in Brussels," he said.

But the Turkish Cypriot side had refused to agree either to a moratorium on construction or the return of the fenced city of Famagusta, Papadopoulos said.

"The only proposal on Famagusta was that they would clean up the wild weeds from the town," he said.

But Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said the Brussels talks had been inconclusive because the Greek Cypriots refused to agree to direct trade as this would constitute recognition of the breakaway state.

The EU has promised Turkish Cypriots both the aid package and direct trade and the approval of the two regulations should not be in the hands of Greek Cypriots, he argued.

On Famagusta, Talat said now was not the time to discuss the proposal put forward by Papadopoulos, which he said was "not balanced."

[Main_Source]

I guess the answer is no.

[Leon]

Talat's an arse hole

[turkcyp]

deleted by the author...

[Main_Source]

Well, if the details in the two articles are true...without trying to sound biased...I think the RoC made some fair concessions toward unification. As usual, all Talat was concerend about was direct trade, which to me onl;y says that he has no regards for unification and wants to get the ball rolling for recognition for 'TRNC'

As much as all of the TC here love to loathe TPap, I think he has made a lot fairer concessions to toward to TC than vice versa.

The ball is no longer in RoC court, it's in Turkey's court.

[Main_Source]

I guess GCs had found their new scape goat. The last 30 years it has been Denktas. Now that Denktas is gone, they found Talat. When Talat is gone, and somebody else comes and refuse the maximalist GC demands, then he/she will be the new scape goat.

Anybody but GCs are responsible for this Cyprus Problem. Anybody but GCs.

And on top of this, this coming from a GC that claims that TCs are not Cypriots makes things even clearer.

And still asking why we could not solve Cyprus problem in the last 42 years.

Maximalist demands? lol...RoC offered a shared port, offered partial international trading for TC, they WANT the TC to have the 159M euros and they are giving the TC free healthcare...all in exchange for Varosha (which has meant nothing to Turkey and always been a bargaining chip) and stoping the development of stolen GC property. This seems fair as to start the road for reunification...but Talat seems to have a knack of saying NO like Denktash did.

He is not showing any goodwill gestures what so ever and keeps asking for direct trade, as to semi international recognition of 'TRNC'.

Who is the real 'maximalist'?