New Round Of Cyprus Talks Begins While Turkish Government Flounders

by Lorys Charalambous, Tax-News.com, Nicosia

17 July 2002

Another round of direct talks begins today between Greek Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, amid growing pressure from the UN, which sponsors the talks, and the EU, which worries about having to admit a divided island.

United Nations special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto returned to the island on Sunday and met both leaders on Tuesday prior to the new talks. The United Nations said last week it was not happy about the inability of the two sides to come to a solution. The island is seeking entry into the European Union in 2004.

De Soto said he hoped the two leaders would make progress: "There is a lot of work to be done," he said. "We will be working during the summer." There are rumours that with the two ageing leaders seemingly unable to pull together a solution on their own (or as seen from the Greek Cypriot side, in the face of intransigence from the splintered Turkish leadership in Ankara) the UN will submit written proposals to both sides.

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said that the government would be receptive towards any proposals put forward by the UN, adding: "It is the right of the Greek Cypriot side to pursue and struggle and demand and request that these proposals to be submitted be within the framework of UN decisions."

However, it is open to question whether progress will be possible while the Turkish political crisis remains unresolved. Current PM Bulent Ecevit it was who authorised the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, and his position is probably that Turkey will only allow its Cypriot client state to merge in a federation with the Greek Cypriot majority when EU entry negotiations are begun for Turkey itself.

Ecevit's party and his government are foundering at least partly because his critics want pro-EU reforms to begin immediately; but with elections now set for the autumn, 18 months early, there can hardly be any change in Turkey's stance towards the EU or Cyprus before a new government is installed. And no-one knows what its colour will be.

Recommended