Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

The second round of the Cyprus negotiation process has been launched.
The new round was initiated by Talat and Christofias who met this morning.

Reading out a short statement at the end of the meeting, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said that today’s discussions started with a tete-a-tete meeting between the two leaders during which they exchanged views on last week’s incident at the Yeşilırmak Gate and the election of the executive.

He said that the leaders worked on ways of bridging the proposals of the two sides on the election of the President and the vice-President of the new state to be formed.

Responding to a question, Mr Downer said that the United Nations was helping the two sides in their efforts to achieve a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation on the basis of the UN resolutions.

He noted that the UN was pleased with the progress achieved so far at the talks.

The Envoy said that the leaders will continue their discussions on the issue of “Executive” next week and will try to bridge the gap between their positions.

Next week’s meeting will be the last to be held within the month.
The first round was completed on the 6th of August.

The second round was scheduled to start last week, but an incident regarding the crossing of Greek Cypriot pilgrims at the Yesilirmak Gate was used as an excuse by the Greek Cypriot Side to postpone the re-launch of talks.

The Executive is the only subject under the first chapter that the two sides failed to reach convergence in the first round.

The GC Side wants the President and the vice-President to be elected directly by the electorate of the envisaged Republic in a single list, with a majority vote.

The TC Side however offers a different system of presidency, similar to that in Switzerland.

[halil]

TURKISH AND GREEK CYPRIOT ARTISTS DISPLAY THEIR ARTWORKS IN SUPPORT OF PEACE

Artworks of Turkish and Greek Cypriot artists are being displayed at a special exhibition inside the premises where direct talks between the two leaders were held, to lend artistic support to the peace-process. Talat and Christofias and the UN Envoy Alexander Downer visited the exhibition at the end of today’s meeting.

“The hopes, fears and potential of future Cypriot generations’ were encapsulated in the works of the artists.

The works on display are the creation of the art collective TWO-FOUR-TWO by Costas Mantzalos and Constantinos Kounnis and the pair of visual artists Emin Cizenel and Anber Onar.

The works by art collective TWO-FOUR-TWO consist of portraits superimposed on one another, backlit, fusing different personalities to create new identities.

This is the third series of works in the exhibition, which kicked off on the 1st June.

‘OPERATION SAVING OUR FUTURE’ EXPRESS ITS SUPPORT TO PRESIDENT TALAT

A group of youths from the TRNC has organized a demonstration at the Metehan(Kermia) check-point in Nicosia to express its support to President Mehmet Ali Talat just before the launch of the second round of the talks.
Members of the "Operation Saving Our Future" which was established seven years ago by seven organizations as a sympol for peace and hope - carried placards saying “Don’t Waste Our Future; Time to Reunite”.

The youths stopped the car carrying the President and presented to him two olive saplings.

They also gave Talat three letters, one for him and the others for Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and the UN Envoy Alexander Downer.

Calling the demonstration meaningful, President Talat said “it is really the time to solve the Cyprus problem”.

The President stated that time is running out for a solution in Cyprus and underlined the need to speed up the peace process.

He complained that the fanatic circles in the Greek Cypriot Side were staging noisy demonstrations with the aim of hindering the process but expressed the belief that he and the Greek Cypriot leader would move the talks forward and to realize the settlement desired by the TC People.

[halil]

TALAT SAID A NEW UNDERSTANDING IS DOMINATING THE NEGOTIATIONS.

Speaking to reporters on his return to the presidential palace, Mr Talat said the two sides have brought their new proposals on Executive to the negotations table at today’s meeting and they will continue to take up the same issue next week.New understanding is dominating the negotiations and the sides will continue the process by exchanging discussions rather than papers.

He also noted that he and Mr Christofias have decided not to talk about the incident at the Yesilirmak Gate which caused the postponement of last week’s meeting.

Responding to a question on the issue of Missing Persons, Mr Talat said that the issue has never been discussed at the negotiations table stressing that it should not be politicized.

Pointing out that the incident at Yesilirmak had demonstrated how easily such an issue could be politicized, Mr Talat said they will not be provoked by circles which oppose the solution of the Cyprus problem.

[halil]

Cyprus leaders discuss executive of united country at UN-backed talks


Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders today discussed issues related to the election of the president and vice president of a united republic as they continued United Nations-backed talks on unifying the Mediterranean island.

Both sides put forward new “bridging proposals,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer told journalists following the talks between Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in Nicosia.

But he declined to give any details. “I think you will understand and respect the fact that these sorts of negotiations work best if the leaders are able to discuss these things with a degree of privacy,” he said, noting that the discussions on the proposals, which followed earlier disagreement on the issue, will continue next week.

“We are pleased with the way it’s progressing,” he added.

UN peacekeepers have been deployed since 1964 to prevent inter-communal fighting on the island. In May last year, Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat committed themselves to working towards “a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions.”

The partnership would comprise a Federal Government with a single international personality, along with a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which would be of equal status.

After today’s talks the two leaders attended a reception for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot artists whose works, produced with UN backing, adorn the walls of the world body’s premises in Nicosia, including the room where the two leaders met.

UN News Centre

[Christine Toskos]

Talant is afraid of Turkey. If he does the right thing. Allow us to return to our homes. Agrees the Turkish army and settlers should return to their homeland he will be slaughtered. Remember what the Turks did to the Armenians.

[Viewpoint]

Talant is afraid of Turkey. If he does the right thing. Allow us to return to our homes. Agrees the Turkish army and settlers should return to their homeland he will be slaughtered. Remember what the Turks did to the Armenians.

Not all of you will be able to return to your homes do you realize this? they are no longer there.