Cyprus-Forum.com

[paaul12]

PRESIDENT Mehmet Ali Talat flew to Germany for a series of "official" contacts with the German government on the Cyprus issue.

The TRNC President will be given official welcoming by the German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, with whom he will hold official discussions expected to focus mainly on the Cyprus issue and the European Union's influence on it. The President's meeting with the German Foreign Minister will take place in Berlin on Friday.

The importance of the essence the meeting and meeting itself was reported in the leading Turkish Newspaper Hurriyet's Editor In Chief Ertugrul Ozkok's column yesterday.

Erugrul Ozkok Wrote:

"This coming Friday morning in Berlin, there is to be a meeting that will be very important in terms of the EU's foreign policy. Barring last minute changes, the meeting will take place in the building where the German Foreign Ministry hosts "foreign guests on official business." Which means the meeting will be imprinted with the stamp "official" on it. The two people to meet Friday will be German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Northern Cypriot President Mehmet Talat. I underline again: this meeting will take place within an "official" framework. Which means that the German government is sitting down with the President of Northern Cyprus in an official manner. Of course, I underline here again that this does not mean German is official "recognizing" Northern Cyprus. But it is accepting Talat as the Northern Cypriots' "elected president."

This visit by Talat to Germany is important, because it establishes relations between a second "heavy-hitting" EU member and Northern Cyprus. The first important EU country to do this was England. Which also means that a "very serious message" is being sent to the disagreeable leader of the Greek Cypriots, Tasos Papadolpoulos. Maybe the EU won't be able to explain this message easily, but I can summarize it here: "If you continue the stance you have held since the rejection of the referendum, this could open the way to general recognition of Northern Cyprus." When Talat leaves Northern Cyprus tomorrow for Berlin, an important new period in Cypriot history begins.

Apparently, the work which laid the path to this important meeting began two months ago. The first contacts between the two sides were made by Prime Minister Erdogan's political advisor, Cuneyd Zapsu, who knows German well. The themes discussed in these first contacts were these: The EU had supported the referendum in Cyprus. The Northern Cypriot people did more than was even expected of them. The Turkish government, despite the fact that support for the referendum was providing its opposition voices with serious trump cards, went on to support the referendum. In the end, the Turkish side said "yes" to the referendum, while the Greek side rejected it. At this point, Papadopoulos took on an even more intractable stance towards the Turkish side. The Turkish side was punished for saying "yes." At which point, the Turkish side gained the right to call out to the EU for support, to give the Southern Cypriots a serious message.

All of these themes are very good bases for discussion. Sources are reporting that even in Brussels, diplomats are weary of Papadopoulos' unchanging stance and refusal to agree with anything. A few months ago, perhaps in reaction to weariness in reaction to Papadopoulos' stance, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw made a first official visit with President Mehmet Ali Talat. But this upcoming meeting between Talat and the German FM is more important. Because it is Germany; one of the two most powerful representative of "classic Europe," that is taking this step. So now, it is only France which has yet to make a move.

© Copyright Cyprus Times 2005

[miltiades]

Wake up Turkish main-lander , the "President " is recognised by your country only , Turkey .
The international community will NEVER recognise your creation , that is of course the creation created by your birth country Turkey.
The referendum was rejected because the majority of Cypriots felt uncomfortable with your birth country having so much influence in my country and in the country where my fellow countrymen the Turkish and Greek Cypriots want to live in peace for generations to come and not be faced with more problems that the Annan plan was storing for the future.
Long may Cyprus prosper for all its true citizens.

[Filitsa]

Germany officialy "recognizing" Northern Cyprus

"Recognizing" it as a pimple on the ass off progress, Paul. How much do they pay you to haunt these forums, anyway?

[Viewpoint]

Wake up Turkish main-lander , the "President " is recognised by your country only , Turkey .
The international community will NEVER recognise your creation , that is of course the creation created by your birth country Turkey.
The referendum was rejected because the majority of Cypriots felt uncomfortable with your birth country having so much influence in my country and in the country where my fellow countrymen the Turkish and Greek Cypriots want to live in peace for generations to come and not be faced with more problems that the Annan plan was storing for the future.
Long may Cyprus prosper for all its true citizens.

miltiades you are level headed individual whos opinion I value but the people that should matter the most for GCs is us the TCs as it us you have to negotiate a united Cyprus and live together with not the rest of world who can recognize you and your leaders but this doesnt change a thing as we have seen for the last 32 years. The GCs have to loose the mentality that becuase they are recognized in a de facto "RoC" they are right and what theit demands are for the best of both communties, they have to look beyond this and envisage a united Cyprus where TCs are not dominated but are encouraged to take active roles within the new united Cyprus.

[miltiades]

Viewpoint , I have all along advocated that Cyprus is one nation belonging to all Cypriots . I have stated that majority rule, at present , is not congenial to finding a solution . Have stated and firmly believe that recognition of the occupied part of Cyprus as a separate state is anathema not only for the Greeks but more so for the Turkish , because whereby the Cypriots in The ROC will get along as they currently do , the Turkish Cypriots will be under a foreign occupation witch will inevitably lead to union with Turkey.
Have also posted on numerous occasions that a political party embracing all Cypriots would most definitely get my vote irrespective if its' leader is a Greek , or a Turkish Cypriot.
My views are shared by all who have the future of generations to come as the uppermost important element in their thinking.
I will oppose and speak against the permanent division of my Island , the annexing of my birth country by a foreign nation , and against all efforts by those who only see as far as their noses , to make the present situation a permanent one.
I believe that you too viewpoint share my vision for a united Cyprus and I'm certain that you can understand that recognition of "TRNC " IS THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFEEN.

[Viewpoint]

Viewpoint , I have all along advocated that Cyprus is one nation belonging to all Cypriots . I have stated that majority rule, at present , is not congenial to finding a solution . Have stated and firmly believe that recognition of the occupied part of Cyprus as a separate state is anathema not only for the Greeks but more so for the Turkish , because whereby the Cypriots in The ROC will get along as they currently do , the Turkish Cypriots will be under a foreign occupation witch will inevitably lead to union with Turkey.
Have also posted on numerous occasions that a political party embracing all Cypriots would most definitely get my vote irrespective if its' leader is a Greek , or a Turkish Cypriot.
My views are shared by all who have the future of generations to come as the uppermost important element in their thinking.
I will oppose and speak against the permanent division of my Island , the annexing of my birth country by a foreign nation , and against all efforts by those who only see as far as their noses , to make the present situation a permanent one.
I believe that you too viewpoint share my vision for a united Cyprus and I'm certain that you can understand that recognition of "TRNC " IS THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFEEN.

What you have to realize is that you are at best 24% of the GC population, you will argue you are not then why arent you on the streets demonstarting against your current leaders stance and lack of progress in the Cyprus issue. Because it is this lack of movement that has pushed people like me after the referendum towards thinking well maybe we cannot build a united Cyprus with these people, maybe they do not have our best interests at heart and that they only want vegence for the past. We voiced we want reunificaiton by getting rid of our leader, not listening to him, and voting yes, choosing a pro solution leader. All these are actions of people who want to move towards reunification but all we have thrown back in our faces is that it is not the case and that we want permanent division. Well its time Gcs replaced this rhetoric with concrete actions and demanded that their side takes steps to move the process forward otherwise what do we TCs do?? nothing? stand still? life goes on and if you are not convinced that your "compatroits" are genuine you look for alternatives such as developing the north and hoping for recognition this is natural.

[miltiades]

Viewpoint . Firstly please do not ostracise by compatriots , the do exist and are not a figment of my imagination compatriots , including Miltiades , rejected the Annan plan , not unification but the Annan plan.
I do not want a foreign power to have control of our island's air and sea space neither do I trust this foreign power to keep to the agreement and piss of from our island as per the agreed time table.
What you must fully comprehend is this. There are thousands upon thousands of Cypriots who consider the Island of Cyprus to be the natural home of the Cypriots .We resent the presence of foreign troops and want them out.
You tell me that we are wrong ! We , the Cypriots are the owners of Cyprus not the Fucking Turks or Greeks,
they can piss off to their respective countries and leave Cyprus to us , the Cypriots.
I

[Rude Gal]

...rejected the Annan plan , not unification but the Annan plan.
I do not want a foreign power to have control of our island's air and sea space neither do I trust this foreign power to keep to the agreement and piss of from our island as per the agreed time table.
What you must fully comprehend is this. There are thousands upon thousands of Cypriots who consider the Island of Cyprus to be the natural home of the Cypriots .We resent the presence of foreign troops and want them out.
You tell me that we are wrong ! We , the Cypriots are the owners of Cyprus not the Fucking Turks or Greeks,
they can piss off to their respective countries and leave Cyprus to us , the Cypriots.

While I don't agree with all you say, I respect your line. Problem is we going nowhere with it, which is why TCs are now seriously looking at going it alone. TCs have had enough of 42 years of international isolation, all their rights taken by GCs who are having a very nice life, every TC move for improvement blocked by hyper-paranoid GCs who present it as 'another effort for TRNC recognition', yet GCs are loathe to share power with us TCs as 'political equals' and have no incentive to anyway...

Sooner or later your worst nightmare will come true as you are giving us TCs no other alternative. If you don't like Annan, put another plan in its place and fast, or you will have to face consquences of rejecting the best possible chance of a solution in years. Time does not stand still and none of us operate in a vacuum.

[miltiades]

Rude gal , believe me when I say that I want nothing more than to see the leaders get down to a negotiating table and start finding that solution that we all want so much.
If the Greek Cypriots did not oppose recognition then the division of our island would become permanent.
The worst scenario for Cyprus would be , Turkey controlling , as it does , one part , and mainland Greece the other.
We would be storing up problems for generations to come.

[despo]

This was a really stupid article because it was never going to happen and was not actually on the agenda. And the fact that the suggestion that Germany was going to recognise the "TRNC" is totally stupid has allowed Greek Cypriots to ignore the fact that Mehmet Ali Talat, as the elected representative of the Turkish Cypriots was invited to meet the German Foreign Minister in his office. This sort of thing never happened before 2004.

Miltiades, you obviously haven't actually read the UN proposed settlement, or you certainly haven't understood it. I think we can now safely say that Cyprus's EU partners do not share the GC rejectionist view that the Annan Plan was evil, and neither are they convinced that the Greek Cypriot political leadership really does want a fair settlement. They are, however, of the opinion that the Turkish Cypriots do - which is Steinmeier invited Talat to go and visit him in Berlin.