Mehmet Ali Talat has said he notified the Greek Cypriot Leader Dimitris Christofias to refrain from bothering with Turkey because Turkey is in favour of a solution in Cyprus.
Mr Talat was speaking to reporters after his meeting with the Greek Cypriot Leader.
Referring to the content of today’s meeting , the President said he is strongly protesting Mr Chrisofias’s statements over relations with Turkey and warned him that he will start responding if he continues this attitude.
Mr Talat said Mr Christofias put forward Greek Cypriot Side’s view in a written document in response to his objection to his initiatives to change the parameters of the negotiations.
He also noted that he pointed out that the United States of Cyprus will be a new state and put forward his views concerning the reflection of the political equality to the decision and representation mechanisms.
Stating that they discussed the issue of federal public services, Mr Talat said there are many common views on the issue.
Responding to a question concerning the oil exploration in territorial waters of Cyprus, Mr Talat said these kinds of works would harm the positive atmosphere before the solution of the Cyprus problem adding that he asked the Greek Cypriot Side to stop carrying out these kinds of works.
Remarks by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Tayé-Brook Zerihoun following the 2 December meeting.
The leaders had a good meeting in a friendly atmosphere. They began with a one-hour tete-a-tete. Then they resumed their discussions on governance, focusing this time on the federal public service, on which they identified a number of convergences, helped by bridging proposals from both sides.
They have called on their representatives to meet and Mr. [George] Iacovou and Mr. [Ozdil] Nami will meet tomorrow afternoon to carry forward discussions on some aspects of governance which have been referred to them by the leaders. We expect further meetings of the representatives before the leaders meet again on the 16th of December, when they will take up the issue of external relations.
The special adviser of the Secretary-General, Mr. Alexander Downer, will arrive on the island on the 11th of December.
Question: When will [inaudible] the chapter on the property issue?
I think we’ll have a better idea about that after the next meeting
Question: When the chapter on governance is closed, will it be with progress?
Yes. I mean, they have made advances in the discussions they have not agreed on every issue, they have left some issues aside to be revisited, they have as I said asked their reps to take up some of these issues.
UNFICYP