Leaders admit not enough progress

The leaders of the two communities, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday assured the Cypriot people that they would do everything in their power to solve the Cyprus problem as soon as possible, but admitted that progress so far had been insufficient.

The leaders’ final meeting for 2008 had a festive air to it, with Talat arriving laden with gifts, in response to those sent by Christofias a few days ago.

The Cyprus Mail reports that in a joint statement read out by UN special representative in Cyprus Alexander Downer after the two-and-a-half hour discussion, they also recognised the need for careful examination of the long list of chapters.

They underlined, however, that they remained strongly committed to finding a solution. “As we are entering a new year, we the two leaders would like to reaffirm our strong commitment to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem,” they said. “Looking back on our efforts since March 2008, we recognise that we still need to consider a long list of chapters. We also assess that although some progress has been made, it has been insufficient. But we assure you we are resolved to do all in our power to reach a settlement as soon as possible.”

Speaking to reporters after the leaders left UN headquarters in the buffer zone, Alexander Downer said that yesterday’s discussion had continued to examine external affairs and powers, while in their next meeting on January 5, they will discuss the hierarchy of norms and other constitutional issues. He added that Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun would attend that meeting and he would also be present at the meetings to follow on January 12 and 16.

Downer denied Turkish media reports quoting him saying that these negotiations were the last chance for a solution and that if the Cyprus issue was not solved in 2009 the UN will stop their efforts and Cyprus will be permanently divided. He added that when he was in Turkey he did not have any discussions with the media at all. He did say that “we look forward to a productive year next year and I think there is a momentum here in these negotiations. The fact that the two leaders have made a joint statement here today is a very encouraging and a very positive development. And it is important that people look at their words and think about their words because these are two people very committed to a successful process”, the UN official remarked.

He added that “endless speculation about what may have been said by other people, including me, in private meetings, you get that all the time. I was the Foreign Minister of Australia for 12 years and words have been put in my mouth which I have never uttered. I just never get into any discussion on that.”

EU Commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in an interview that 2009 must be the year of a comprehensive settlement for Cyprus, urging all parties, and in particular Turkey, to step up efforts. He said all parties should work to create a "win-win situation" for the two communities. "We are not in the business of pressure. We are in the business of facilitation," he told Reuters. "It's important for everybody, but Turkey is one of the key stakeholders... they have supported the process, yes, but it is important that we all intensify our political support for a Cyprus settlement."

"We need... to reunify the island so that Cyprus could be like a normal EU member state, in peace, united," he said. "Next year will be a crucial window of opportunity for that, that's why we will certainly invest all resources, all mental and personal resources that are needed to bring that support," he said.

Rehn said that it was important that the talks continue to be driven by the leaders of the two communities on the island, but that the EU was ready to bring as much legal and technical support as required by the two parties or the United Nations.

The fact that Cyprus is a member of the EU has wide-ranging impact on the reunification talks, as they mean bringing the north of the island into the 27-nation bloc, with its massive legislation and specific deals with nations such as Turkey."It is a matter of paramount importance for the EU to see a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus," Rehn said.

Talks continuing, no need to be pessimistic

The two leaders in Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat had their 12th meeting on Tuesday in the framework of direct talks and.The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus Alexander Downer said the pair discussed external relations and the powers of a federal government and would continue doing so during their next meeting on December 22. The next issue on the agenda “is the relationship between the laws of the constituent states and the federal government”, he added.Asked how the negotiations were proceeding so far, Downer said: “it is good that they continue the discussions on these issues”. “[These are] very big issues for any community to work through”.The 29 December meeting will not take place due to the December holiday season.

On Monday Downer had a meeting with Talat, which he described as having been “a very good discussion about where the negotiations are and how they are proceeding”. He said he would address the same issues during a similar meeting with Christofias, he added.

Moreover, Ankara Anatolia news agency reported that Talat said afterwards that there was no reason to be pessimistic about the talks on Cyprus at the moment ."We are continuing to talk. There is progress and we do not talk about the same issues ", he said. "We agreed on some issues and we could not on some others". He added, however, that there is a need for the two Cypriot leaders to meet more frequently in the future.

Kibris also reported that Downer is flying to Athens and to Ankara for talks on the Cyprus problem with the Greek and Turkish governments .

Tassos Papadopoulos dies

Former President Tassos Papadopoulos passed away earlier today at the age of 74. He had been suffering from lung cancer and had been in intensive care since 22 November. He is to to have a state funeral on Monday. The Council of Ministers held an emergency session and decided that a three day period of mourning will be observed as from tomorrow, Tassos Papadopoulos served as President from 2003-2008.

The U.N. Secretary General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus, Alexander Downer, arrived back on the island yesterday stressing the importance of keeping up momentum in the Cyprus talks, the Cyprus Mail reports.“I have always said that there needs to be a momentum in the negotiations, so I hope that over the next couple of weeks between now and Christmas there will be good momentum bringing us to the Christmas break and into next year,” Downer said on arrival at Larnaca airport. He said there would be “difficult issues that will move more slowly” and easier issues that would move more quickly. “We should not underestimate how difficult it is to put together a constitution. This is a very, very challenging task, it’s a very big task and is an ambitious task and it is a worthy and important ambition,” he said. “The important thing is to keep the negotiations moving forward. But I think it is still moving forward okay.”Downer played down the continuing negative statements being by the two leaders outside of the negotiations. “What ultimately is going to be important is what happens in the negotiating room and that is not just between the leaders of course, but the representatives and the officials”, he said. “The test of this process is going to be the result and I think they can achieve a successful result”.

Downer had a working lunch with Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou during which they reviewed the course of the talks so far, and discussed alternative working methods. According to the Cyprus News Agency, Mr Iacovou and Mr Talat’s Adviser, Mr Ozdil Nami, will meet at 10 this morning, within the framework of recording the issues discussed by the two leaders in the talks and forming terminology, so that there is no misunderstanding, but an identical text. Three more issues in the chapter of Governance remain to be discussed by the leaders of the two communities, who will meet again on 16 Decemberwill attend the next meeting of the leaders on December 16.

Kibris reported yesterday that Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, who is visiting Brussels, said he had asked European officials to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to be engaged in the solution of the Cyprus problem. He argued that although President Christofias says he wants a solution, this does not go beyond words and there are some things which should be done in order for this to go further than words. In statements at a press conference yesterday, Mr Talat accused Greece of using the Republic of Cyprus as a serious obstacle against Turkey behind the scenes, because it does not want to damage its relations with Ankara. He stated that he asked for technical assistance from the EU officials for the harmonization of the Turkish Cypriots with the acquis and their economic advancement. Mr Talat said that during his meetings with Jose Manuel Barosso and Javier Solana, President of the Commission and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy respectively, told him that the two leaders in Cyprus have a “serious responsibility” to solve the problem. He also said he had asked for equal treatment on the Cyprus problem with the Greek Cypriots, equal in full sense.
Mr Talat said that he was in favour of solving the problem before the European Parliamentary elections, but claimed the Greek Cypriots have said they do not want this and put it into their agreement with Russia. He said he would like to see a timetable but did not see a similar wish on the part of the Greek Cypriots.

Leaders pessimistic but round two considered

The the direct talks between the two communities are not going as well as expected, President Christofias said on Friday night, the Cyprus Mail reports. Addressing a bicommunal event, Christofias said Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s position for the existence of two nations in Cyprus does not only contradict historical reality, but also the treaties that founded the Cyprus Republic as a unified bicommunal state.Christofias also hinted that Talat was starting to remind him of former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who was openly in favour of a partition between the two communities.“The common philosophy of AKEL and the Turkish Republican Party, up until recently, was that in Cyprus there is one nation, which consists of two communities: the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots,” said Christofias. “Now, I am saddened to see that this position, regarding the supposed existence of two nations in Cyprus, was supported by Mr Denktash in his policy for the creation of to separate states in Cyprus,” he added. Continuously highlighting the existence of two nations, said Christofias, was doing little to assist efforts for a resolution to the Cyprus problem.“Unfortunately, such positions sometimes appear on the table of negotiations,” he explained. He referred to the pessimism that can be deduced through polls between the people of the two communities, assuring, however, that “efforts will not be abandoned”.

On his part, in a recent interview with the Turkish Cypriot news agency, Talat was equally pessimistic. He added that it was nearly impossible to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem before the end of 2009. “Maybe even 2009 will pass without a solution. The negotiating process is moving at very slow rhythms". “From the moment that the Greek Cypriot side did not accept the Annan Plan as a basis for discussion, we have almost started from zero,” he said. “The international forces must certainly take action and look at the issues, which the two sides can’t find solutions to,” he added. He said Christofias entered the negotiations as a different person, “He is not as I expected him to be,” he said, adding that this was a huge disappointment to him, especially when Christofias attacked Turkey.Referring to his position that there are two nations in Cyprus, Talat concluded, “Of course there are two nations, with different languages, religions, joys and woes. When one is happy, the other is sad. Only if there is an earthquake or airplane tragedy will they have the same reaction.”He didn’t, however, exclude the possibility that the future could see the creation of one nation with two different languages.

Politis says that the property issue which is due to come up for discussion in January, is turning out to be a serious problem for the negotiating teams as they don't have any real experience in property matters and need the input of foreign experts to come up with solutions. The only thing they have to help them are the provisions that existed in the Annan plan but these can only be used as an aide in view of the fact that they are virtually starting from scratch. The two leaders, the paper adds, both realise that the talks are proceeding very slowly and are thinking of ways to speed up the process, such as six hourly weekly meetings of the leaders and even more active involvement of their advisers in the process. Few people believe that they will reach the deadline of the Euro-elections in June but are looking towards the evaluation of Turkey's EU entry talks in December 2009 and Talat's future who is up for re-election early in 2010. Despite the concern in diplomatic circles at the leaders inability to find once all issues are taken together, particularly when viewed together with the property issue. Meanwhile options are already being considered as to how the second stage of the process should proceed, with the belief being expressed that the international community should isolate the leaders, without party representatives from either side, somewhere abroad, where the final give and take will take place.

Things are going well

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer believes that Turkey wants a solution and that things are going well in the talks on Cyprus, better than what most people on the island think. In an interview with Politis he says he is cautiously optimistic that the process will bear fruit. He says he feels that both leaders in Cyprus envisage the bizonal bicommunal federation in the same way and that the issue will revolve around them finding the golden mean.

He says that while Turkey may have clear view of what the solution should be, nevertheless they are letting Mr Talat negotiate. They want the problem solved because the fact that Turkey maintains a large number of troops on the island causes tension and difficulties for them. "They have a problem in their back yard that they would like to see solved", he adds. They have committed themselves to the process and they support the process, he says.

Regarding the guarantees, he says these will have to be examined by all concerned as the issue does not just concern the two leaders. The Greek government, he says, has made clear that it does not believe they should continue, the Turkish government has stated publicly that it wants them to continue, while the British government hasn't said anything and we don't know what their stand will be.

"My job is not to be optimistic", he says "but I wouldn't have undertaken this position if I believed that there was no possibility of success". He added that while Cypriots understandably are not very optimistic as a result of the past history of the Cyprus problem, nevertheless sitting in on the negotiations as their host, he sees what is happening. "To be honest, I believe they are going quite well and I am cautiously optimistic. If I were not, I would say so. But I am cautiously optimistic". He emphasises that it is of paramount importance for a solution that the momentum is kept up. "Time will tell", he concludes.

Makarios Droushiotis in an article in Politis on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the TRNC, says it has been a failure both politically and economically. Politically because it came up against the reaction of the permanent members of the Security Council, especially the US whose firm stand has been for a single state in Cyprus, economically becuse the state has never been viable but was always a Turkish protectorate. Its total dependence on Turkey transferred all of Turkey's problems to the T/C community and prevented it from developing as a separate entity. Half the population gets a salary or financial support by a state which has little revenue of its own and hardly produces anything. Even the brief building boom after 2004 failed to give the economy a boost due to the lack of healthy economic infrastructure to enable proper development.

Admittedly 2004 was a watershed in the history of the island because for the first time in their history the two communities had a common objective in joining the EU. The T/Cs recognised that their future lay with the EU and not as a Turkish outpost. We admired their uprising and applauded their youth, yet know full well that, had their separate state succeeded, had it brought them prosperity, freedom and contact with the outside world, they would not have wanted unification. On the other hand if the 1974 events hadn't happened, the G/C would not be seeking federation, let alone accepting political equality, or a rotating presidency.

Today after half a century of being adversaries we should leave yesterday behind and invest in tomorrow, settling on a compromise that will be better than the status quo. If this will be in the form of a federation, the G/Cs must come to terms with the fact that the TRNC will be a constituent part of that state. Likewise the T/Cs must acknowledge that the fact that we are in a position to reunite the country under the umbrella of the EU is an achievement of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member with a healthy economy, without dependencies from Greece or anywhere else. In order to reunite the country we will inherit all the burdens and chaos of the TRNC and enable the T/C to become EU members overnight. If they truly have abandoned their aim for recognition they must reduce their demands on the federation and stick to making sure they acquire political equality and that they have effective participation in the state. It is logical that they should want security safeguards and for their concerns that they won't be absorbed by the G/Cs to be alleviated, but they are not justified in threatening partition and wanting numerical equality and for everything to be split half and half, without taking G/C fears into account. One of the main reasons why the Zurich agreement collapsed was the feeling of injustice felt by G/Cs that T/Cs had been given too many prerogatives in the 1960 constitution. If a solution is to be reached, it must be made to last and not to collapse for the same reasons.

Loucas Charalambous, writing in the Sunday Mail and Politis, says politicians and journalists keep talking about the need to inform people about a how a federal system of government works because people are in the dark. It is astonishing that 30 years after the two sides signed agreements accepting a federation as the new system of government, we still have not bothered to learn how it works. He blames politicians and says this is either because they do not know themselves or they do not want to explain things to the people. The best example of this misinformation campaign was provided by the former president Tassos Papadopoulos in an interview published by the Khaleej Times on September 4, 2004 who had no compunction about using a big lie to create hostile sentiments against a federal settlement. Ironically it is the very same journalists who so zealously misinformed the public about the provisions of the Annan plan back in 2004 that are today demanding that people be informed about how federation would work. So where should people be getting their information from if politicians and journalists cannot be trusted? For citizens to be correctly informed, we need well-informed and honest journalists. But it is a bit rich for journalists who, either through ignorance or consciously, became vehicles for the promotion of the most ruthless misinformation campaign ever carried out in Cyprus, to now demand information about the federal settlement. Why did they not make this demand back in 2004?

Coffeeshop says Christofias' trip to Russia was a personal triumph of epic proportions, but a fiasco for the country. Our presidente went through the trip in what could only be described as drunken daze caused not by the consumption of vodka, but by the red carpet treatment he received at the Kremlin which went straight to his head. Here was the poor village boy from Dikomo, being treated like royalty by the Russian government – inspecting guards of honour, spending time with the Russian president, staying at palatial premises in the Kremlin and the Moscow roads being closed especially for his cavalcade to pass. Not even in his wildest dreams, as an impoverished student in Moscow, would he have thought that one day he would be waltzing around the Kremlin, with uniformed minders and having discussions with the Russian president.

The treatment intoxicated him, which was why he exhibited the main symptoms of drunkenness – verbal incontinence and lack of touch with your surroundings. How else could you explain his insistence on heaping praise on Soviet communism, while sitting under a portrait of Tsar Nicholas II? He was too intoxicated to realize that this might offend his hosts who considered the Soviet era as a black mark on Russia’s history, hence the portrait of the last Tsar in a state building.

His verbal incontinence is guaranteed to have pissed off many of our EU partners as well, especially the attack on NATO, which was totally unnecessary. It was bad enough that he took on the role of salesman of the Russian government’s proposal for the re-drafting of Europe’s security system, which is far from popular in the EU. But did he have to disparage NATO, which most former Eastern Bloc countries joined in order to have some protection from Russia? The intoxication boosted his delusions of grandeur, mouthing off against NATO and defiantly supporting a security system that none of his EU partners are remotely interested in. And when challenged about going against his partners, he joked that he was proud to be the ‘red sheep’ of the Union.

This comes as additional confirmation of what our establishment had written a few weeks ago – that our deluded presidente is grossly over-estimating his influence on the international stage, and getting ideas way above his station. Not only did he go to Moscow looking to buy €200 million worth of tanks and missiles, he also agreed to be the EU agent of its European security proposal and to lead the effort to abolish the visa requirement for Russians traveling to the EU. And all this in exchange for what? A meaningless joint declaration about the Cyprob, the only positive point of which was that it angered Talat, and a vague promise that Russia would support our positions at the UN Security Council, as long as it does not cause a fall-out with one of its leading trading partners – Turkey.

Incidentally, while the red sheep was in Moscow bleating about our principled allies, the Russian defence minister was in Ankara negotiating the sale to the Turks of five weapon systems worth a billion bucks. The Turks did not ask for support of their positions in the Security Council as a deal sweetener, because they knew Russia’s stands at the UN are guided exclusively by principles and she would never back a country which invades an independent state.

Meanwhile uber-patriotic hard-liner Ethnarch Junior, Nicholas got a lot of air-time this week after complaining that people who express disagreement over the comrade’s handling of the Cyprob, were subjected to “intellectual terror”. When his dad was Ethnarch there was much greater tolerance to people who expressed disagreements with his Cyprob handling. They may have been routinely labeled Turkish agents, but their views were respected.

Last chance for a comprehensive settlement

According to the Cyprus Mail, the biggest obstacle of all to a Cyprus solution is now inertia, and if the current process breaks down it will likely be the last attempt for many years, the International Crisis Group (IGC) said yesterday.

In an article, Hugh Pope, the Turkey/Cyprus project director for the IGC, said that as far as the inertia was concerned, the EU had not yet woken up to the opportunity and risks it faced in Cyprus.Pope said that on the island, cynicism remained widespread. Polls show that fully 40 per cent of the population had become so used to the status quo that they simply did not believe that a settlement would ever happen. “The leaderships, supported by powerful voices from Turkey, Greece and beyond, must begin to tell the story of what a post-settlement Cyprus could look like,” said Pope. “If this year's process breaks down… it will likely be the last attempt at a comprehensive settlement for many years,” he added. Pope said in such an event, the world might “one day” consider a two-state solution on the island. “All sides should count the costs of waiting indefinitely. The old comfort of an unthreatening status quo is no longer available,” said Pope.

He said now that Greek Cypriots were full members of the EU, the stakes and risks were higher. “Failure could lead to new insecurity and even military tensions between Cyprus and Turkey,” Pope said.

“For the Turkish Cypriots, meanwhile it would mean becoming completely dependent on Turkey. And for Turkey, Cyprus would become a worse problem than before: an economic cost, a diplomatic burden, and, above all, the biggest obstacle between the Turks and their ambition for a full place in the European family of nations.”Normalisation of relations between Cyprus and Turkey would on the other hand bring huge economic and other benefits to both countries.

“There are thus many reasons for Christofias to join with Talat to start real work on a settlement,” said Pope, referring to their long-established dialogue and friendship based on their left-wing parties' common anti-nationalist cause. He said in the past six months, despite altercations in the media, they have held long private discussions after their official meetings.

As far as Turkey was concerned, Pope said a successful outcome of the Cyprus talks would be a chance to set Turkey's EU convergence process back on track.“As a guarantor power in Cyprus, Turkey will have its word to say on the settlement. As former Chief of Staff General Yasar Büyükanit has said, it will have to agree that the Turkish Cypriots will be safe within a well-constructed agreement,” Pope said.

“Public opinion over Cyprus is not the problem some in Turkey pretend that it is: polls show a majority once again support the goal of EU membership. Most Turks… have internalised the idea that the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots can safely live together within the EU.”

Meanwhile President Christofias' returned from an official visit to Russia yesterday having signed seven agreements with Russia covering financial, commercial and political spheres. with strong criticism of NATO, saying Cyprus would never become a member as long as he was President. According to press reports, central to Christofias’ visit were a possible deal on the purchase of €200 million worth of Russian military hardware, and talks on removing Cyprus from Russia’s tax blacklist, tightening regulations on Russian companies repatriating dividends tax-free from Cyprus.

Commenting on Cyprus-US relations, Christofias said Cyprus would never become a member of NATO as long as he was President but added that he did not regard himself as “an enemy” of either the US or the UK. Both countries were needed to help Cyprus reach a comprehensive settlement, he said. He also said Cyprus wished to see Turkey becoming an EU member, but it must respect EU principles. “We do not want the Turkish military to determine Turkey’s foreign policy or to control the socioeconomic life of the country,” he said.

Christofias visit to Russia and the signing of a joint declaration there has angered the Turkish Cypriots. According to press reports, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, speaking in Ankara where he has gone for contacts with the Turkish government, said that such actions do not help the negotiations on the Cyprus problem and change the principles agreed by the two leaders. Earlier, Talat's spokesman Hasan Ercakica said: “We want to remind to Mr Christofias that his interlocutor in the Cyprus problem is not in Moscow but in Lefkosia,” he said. “We also want to warn the officials of the Russian Federation on the issue”.

Talks moving on

The UN Secretary-general’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said yesterday he still believed ongoing negotiations on finding a solution to the Cyprus problem would result in success – albeit more slowly than some had hoped.

“I think obviously the process will go into 2009 and as long as the momentum is sustained they can achieve a good solution in the end,” Downer said after a two-and-a- half-hour meeting between Christofias and Talat.

Yesterday’s meeting was the eighth since the talks were launched on September 3 and focussed on the single issue of governance and power-sharing. Neither of the leaders made comments as they left the meeting, preferring to leave Downer to brief the press.

According to the Cyprus Mail the talks have been fraught with difficulties, with Christofias and Talat frequently trading barbs via the media. Most recently, the paper says, Greek Cypriots this week accused Turkish Cypriots of having a philosophical approach not compatible with the agreed federal setup of a future joint state. The Turkish Cypriots responded by saying it was committed to a federation but one in which it could govern its own affairs. Earlier bickering focussed on the issues of Turkish military guarantees – something the Turkish Cypriot side says is non-negotiable – and whether a solution would mean a continuation of the existing Cyprus Republic. So far, none of these issues have been resolved.

Despite the prevailing public feelings of negativity surrounding the negotiations, Downer said he remained optimistic, insisting that “the process is working quite well now. It is working a lot better than it did initially”.

Asked when he thought the two leaders and their teams would move on to the second item on their agenda, Downer said, “There is no particular time laid down for that but they made good progress on the judiciary and they are moving on Monday to discuss deadlock-resolving mechanisms, and I think you could hope they could get to property before too long”.

His comments were later echoed by Christofias, who agreed property could be on the agenda before the end of the year.“Today, Downer is justified in saying that more progress has been achieved than before,” Christofias said. “We have done well today, to a certain extent. Generally speaking, yes, we have taken some steps forward.”

Downer was at pains yesterday to focus on the more positive aspects of discussions so far, and stressed on the need for the two sides to “maintain momentum”. He added, however, the belief that it would be counter-productive to set what he described as “artificial deadlines” or time limits to the negotiations, saying that such an approach “would actually make the process more difficult rather than easier”. Asked how momentum would be maintained into the coming year Downer said, “I think that is a question of the political will of the leaders,” adding: “I have spent a lot of time with them now, I have come to know them and they are people who do have the political will to find a solution”.

Convergences and divergences

Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday continued direct talks on the issue of the legislature in a future Cyprus settlement.The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said afterwards that the two leaders were “making steady progress” on the issue of governance and will meet again this morning.

“This is an enormously important negotiation for the people of Cyprus and inevitably it’s going to take time and inevitably the negotiations are going to be difficult negotiations but they are making progress,” he said.Asked to define what he meant by progress, Downer said: “There are points of convergence in the discussion, and as they reach points of convergence they are able to move on and there are obviously points of divergence as well and it’s the points of divergence that constitute the debate.”Whether there was more convergence or divergence he would not say although some points of divergence will be discussed by the leaders’ representatives – George Iacovou and Ozdil Nami – on Friday in relation to the legislature.

“As you can imagine for any country governance and power sharing is an enormously important issue. This is a central issue. So it is hardly surprising that it takes a while and I think it is very important to be understanding and tolerant with that frankly. An expectation that you can just suddenly solve all of these problems overnight after so many years is unrealistic,” he said. Discussions were held on the competencies of the federal government, on the executive, the role of the executive and how the executive was elected, he added.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Christofias,like Downer, said there had been convergence and divergence but refused to elaborate beyond saying that “there must be convergence on the philosophy of the kind of state we want, on how unified, firm and functional this state will be and this is a topic we shall be discussing until the end.” He added that was why they had authorised their aides to meet again on Friday to discuss issues on which final convergence can be reached."If we had the same positions right from the start, the problem would have been solved before we began". He said they would not necessarily agree on everything before moving on to another chapter. “Once we conclude the discussions on all the aspects of the Cyprus issue, then we shall go back to see what give and take we can achieve, where and how,” he said.

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris reporting on the meeting between the two leaders says under the headline “The kiss of life from the UN” that there was an intervention from the UN inthe negotiations which are proceeding slowly and that Downer participated in the tete-a-tete meeting between the two leaders. Yeni Duzen likewise says “The process was safeguarded”, while Star Kibris also says that “the two leaders passed the 7th crossroad”. 2. UN SG

Meanwhile the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday warned that unnecessary scepticism might not be desirable for the ongoing process for reaching a comprehensive solution to the longstanding Cyprus problem and called on the international community to encourage “this very fragile negotiation process”.

He also said he was impressed by the two Cyprus leaders’ very strong political will to resolve the problem and expressed the belief that the ongoing dialogue “will be much better than before”.
He was speaking during his monthly press conference in New York and replying to a journalist's question on whether reports of an impasse at the Cyprus peace talks were correct and if he planned on taking any measures on that, the UN Secretary-General.

The National Council met the day before yesterday and discussed the course of the ongoing UN-led direct talks between Mr Christofias and Mr Talat. Its agenda also included the restructuring of the National Council with a view to making it more effective.

Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou announced that the functioning of the National Council will be discussed at the next session of the House of Representatives, which will be held specifically for this matter on November 24. During the meeting Mr Christofias briefed the body on the talks and the members submitted their views and positions.

Mr Stefanou asked to comment after the meeting of the National Council, on the fact that four political leaders felt that the talks are not going well, said: “We know that there are difficulties in the negotiations. We knew this well before we started this process. As I have said before, the Cyprus issue is in itself a difficult problem and a lot of hard work will be needed, with commitment to principles and with determination and flexibility. We are still at the beginning of the negotiating process. We remain focused and dedicated to this process so that, with our own effort and hopefully with the necessary response from the other side, the road to the solution of the Cyprus problem may open.”

Mr Christofias, commenting yesterday on press reports referring to the opinion of the majority of the National Council, said he disagreed with talk about majority or minority opinions in the National Council. He said what was important was not how many members of the Council say one thing and how many another. "What counts is the strength of the parties".

According to press reports, Tassos Papadopoulos was in favour of the G/C side withdrawing from the talks. In statements afterwards he objected to the fact that what was said in the meeting having been leaked to the press saying that during his presidency this sort of thing never happened.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer is due to have separate meetings today with the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus. Speaking to the press after meeting with Mr Christofias, Downer said׃ “I had a very good meeting with the President and it’s a good opportunity for me to hear what he has to say, to listen and discuss some of the issues in relation to the negotiations that are taking place. It is very useful to have a discussion with him.”

Asked whether he was optimistic, Mr Downer said׃ “I am. This is inevitably going to be a difficult negotiation and why would anybody expect otherwise. There is a long history here and if these problems were easy to solve they would have been solved a very long time ago. They haven’t been (solved), but the political will has to be there above all to solve the problem of Cyprus and I think that the two leaders do have that political will. Inevitable the details of the negotiations are going to be from time to time difficult. You just couldn’t expect it to be easy. It all comes down to political will and statesmanship of leaders and I think they have the capacity to ultimately deliver an agreement.”

The EU said yesterday that Ankara needs to take concrete steps to contribute to a favourable climate for a comprehensive Cyprus settlement.The Cyprus Mail reports that EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn speaking after the publication of the EU's progress report on Turkey, said that "it can accept any solution agreed by the two communities, as long as a united Cyprus respects the Union's founding principles of liberty, democracy and the rule of law, and is able to carry the obligations of EU membership”.
“This implies a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” he added.Rehn said Turkey had made no progress towards fully implementing the additional protocol it has with the EU in relation to normalising ties with Cyprus. This would include allowing Cyprus air and sea traffic to utilise Turkish ports and air space.“As long as restrictions remain in place on the free movement of goods carried by vessels and aircraft registered in Cyprus or where the last port of call was Cyprus, Turkey will not be in a position fully to implement the acquis relating to this chapter,” Rehn said. As a result of Turkey's non compliance with its obligations related to the Decemebr 2006 protocol, the EU decided to freeze eight chapters of the negotiations, but to continue with the other chapters.The Commissioner also said regional air traffic management was suffering due to the lack of communications between air traffic control centres in Turkey and Cyprus. “This is seriously compromising air safety in the Nicosia flight information region,” he added.

The paper reports that the content of the draft report on Turkey had worried Greek Cypriots, as to what was perceived as a planned endorsement of the controversial property commission in the north. A flurry of contacts were set in motion to clarify what the text of the report would finally contain, culminating in a meeting between Rehn and Cypriot EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou. According to Politis, Vassiliou won a promise to include several of the concerns of the Greek Cypriot side in the report, but had not managed to get Rehn to agree to deletion of the section on the property commission.The final report said the “compensation mechanism” put in place to address the property rights of displaced persons fulfilled in principle the requirements indicated by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and continued to receive requests for compensation. “However, the ECHR has not assessed whether the available remedy is effective for all relevant issues. Turkey has not yet fully implemented the ECHR judgements on the Loizidou and Xenides-Arestis cases,” the report added.

The reports said Cyprus had asked for the references to Turkey’s failure to normalise relations with Cyprus, and the specific areas in which Ankara had failed do this.The government also asked that Turkey needed to be told to show concrete, and not merely verbal support for the new Cyprus negotiations.Politis said Rehn’s reasoning for wanting to exclude a number of negative references to Turkey’s behaviour towards Cyprus was based on the fact that negotiations were underway.

Moreover, according to Ankara Anatolia news agency earlier this week, Turkish President Abdullah Gul reiterated Turkey's support for a settlement of the Cyprus issue that would reunify the divided Mediterranean island. "We remain determined to find a lasting, fair and a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem which would strengthen peace, prosperity and security in southeast European and the Eastern Mediterranean," he told a European economic forum.

Meanwhile in New York, the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General Mrs Michelle Montas, asked what the UN Secretary General thinks about the the view that the Cyprus talks are continuing yet offer no hope, said the Secretary-General does not share that point of view. "He thinks that there is hope and that the talks are going to continue and they’re going to bear fruit. As you know, he met with all the parties personally and he’s very confident that there will be a positive response”.


The Cyprus Mail reports that the author of a short story that caused a storm in a teacup last month has said that a section of Cypriot society, including some of its educators, is evidently not ready for reconciliation with the Turkish Cypriots.

This was the result of Georgiades short story “Mehmet’s Last Wish” being included in the education syllabus to be used as points of discussion in the classroom , part of the Education Ministry’s new policy goal of promoting peaceful co-existence and reconciliation in schools. This sparked an outcry from head of the primary teachers’ union, Demetris Mikellides who condemned the new reading material as provocative. Mikellides called it a distortion of history, referring to the bit in Georgiades’ short story, where EOKA gave orders to destroy mosques. The union chief was criticised by his Vice President, Lazaros Avraam, who said “It would be much more appropriate for him to clearly state his opposition to the goal of peaceful co-existence instead of playing with words" . Eventually, some of the material was withdrawn with the Education Ministry agreeing that it should have been discussed in before the list was drawn up.

However, the Union of Cypriot Writers, of which Georgiades is a member, criticised the removal of certain “sensitive” materials from the list of publications, arguing that “preventive censorship has no place in democratic societies”. Georgiades argued that the short story, first published 20 years ago, was actually based on real events. “It is a true story as I lived it about the close friendship of Phivos (my brother) and Mehmet. The author was adamant that he looked at both nationalist organisations, Volkan and EOKA, through the same objective lens.

Asked to comment on the fierce reaction to his story, 20 years after its publication, he said: “I did not submit the story to the ministry. But it seems Cypriot society is divided on the issue of co-existence. I believe a part of Cypriot society and the primary teachers’ union is not mature enough to accept the progressive ideas of reconciliation in the story. It is two three steps ahead of what some teachers are prepared for,” he added.

This week's meeting

Federal issues were discussed yesterday at the weekly meeting of the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus after which they again instructed their representatives, Nami and Iacovou, to continue their discussions in an effort to narrow remaining differences. They began their session with a one hour tête-à-tête and finished it off with a preliminary exchange of views on the legislature.

They will continue these discussions next week when they will have two meetings on Tuesday 11 and Friday 14 November. Asked by the press afterwards if there was a narrowing of the gap, the UN Special Representative in Cyprus, Mr Tayé-Brook Zerihoun replied: "They are moving forward".

Quizzed by reporters when he returned to the Presidential Palace yesterday, Mr Christofias called for patience adding that when progress was achieved, he would announce it. “Some people are in a hurry. I have said this before. A lot of patience is required and nerves of steel, which I believe I possess,” he said.He also said he would continue to have tête-à-tête meetings with Talat as he did yesterday for one hour before negotiations proper, because it was useful in helping relieve tension between the two sides. “Explanations are given on issues which have taken place and I think that this is useful,” he said.

Benefits outweigh costs

Former Cyprus President George Vasiliou says in an article in the press that he believes the current negotiations on the Cyprus problem are ‘condemned to succeed’ and that with Christofias and Talat at the helm "we can hope".

He says while on the G/C side there are people who hope that we can go back to the conditions prevailing when Cyprus became independent or as close as possible, and on the T/C side the theory of partition, ‘taxim’, is still alive and if this is not possible, then a ‘near-taxim’ solution under the cover of ‘federation’, however, there is a clear understanding on both sides that there can be no unilateral victory by either of the two and that we must both strive for a win-win solution. This implies that there is need for compromises from both sides. Compromises that, when reached, may be attacked by many on both sides but which in a few years will have been forgotten as we will all be working and enjoying the benefits of the reunited Federal Republic of Cyprus."The benefits of reunification will be substantially greater than the cost of the compromises that we may have to accept", he said and went on to outline the benefits of a solution.

On property he envisages that to a large extent the present territorial division between the two communities will remain in force but expects that about one-fifth of the land currently under Turkish Cypriot control will be returned to Greek Cypriots, including Famagusta, Morphou, a great number of villages and various other areas. The main problem arises overproperty that in one constituent states owned by someone living in the other.

"In some cases the legal owners will be able to return but in most cases, they will not either for practical reasons or because the owners may prefer compensation " . He said substantial sums of money will be made available from the UN and EU which will give a boost to the construction industry and provide the required liquidity for all kinds of projects that Greek or Turkish Cypriots may want to initiate.

"We will therefore be starting our new life as a united island with a substantial ‘dowry’", he added.

The fact that the Federal Republic of Cyprus will be a full member of the EU from the first moment of the solution in the same way as the united Germany was, will enable the two communities to trust each other. "Suspicion of the others’ motives is probably the greatest challenge of a reunited federal Cyprus. In the EU however, legislation is for everybody and all countries. Thus we are ’condemned’ to trust each other and accordingly co-operation between the two communities should develop smoothly".He also highlighted that after some transitional periods, we will all enjoy the full benefits of the freedom of movement of goods, people, services and capital, while the development of commerce and industry will naturally create new and strong relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, helping them to get to know each other better, co-operate and jointly take advantage of the many opportunities arising from membership of the European Union."Even if at the beginning bitter feelings from the long years of partition may still prevail, gradually these will fade until they finally disappear", he said. "Cypriots, instead of thinking of the sufferings and conflicts of the past will work together to create a better future for themselves and the country as a whole".

Meanwhile an article in Politis says that Christofias' proposals on the property issue includes a proposal for increasing the building quotient on T/C property in the south and a system for allowing current occupiers of property to rent it from the legal owners for a period of 15 - 20 years. The paper quotes diplomatic sources as saying that the proposal is based on the principle that both the legal owners as well as the current occupants have rights to property throughout the island and says it is modelled along the lines of a successful model implemented in Beirut by the murdered Lebanese President Hariri.

Another meeting

The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus met in Nicosia yesterday under UN auspices starting with an hour and half tête-à-tête. Then, continuing the discussions on the federal executive, They heard from their two representatives on the follow-up meeting that they held on the 16th of October to help explain and clarify positions on the issue. The leaders then took up the issue themselves, and had a constructive exchange of views, and then directed their representatives to carry on these discussions next Thursday. Following that, the leaders had a preliminary discussion on the legislature; these discussions will continue when the two Leaders meet again on the 3rd of November.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus, Taye Brook Zerihoun, described the meeting as a constructive exchange of views. He told reporters afterwards that “there are some issues that cannot be discussed in isolation from other issues, so they have left some of these issues aside. They have asked their representatives to look at some issues, to find bridging ideas. So this is a process that will continue. And I think it’s going well.”

President Christofias the day before yesterday expressed regret at continuing public accusations of the Turkish Cypriot leadership and stressed that he will discuss the various issues at the negotiating table. “It is regrettable that we should have friendly discussions at the meetings and outside the meetings to be accusing each other,” he said, when asked to comment on statements by Mr Talat and Mr Soyer that the Greek Cypriot side has no political will for a solution. Asked to respond to criticism that he has invested too much in his friendship with Mr Talat, Christofias stressed that he opted to invest in friendship rather than enmity or hatred. “It remains to be seen in practice whether either of us will be true to this friendship” he added. He assured that he would not walk out of the talks. Regarding the Greek Cypriot side’s position on the issue of guarantees, he noted that it is unnatural for a modern country to have guarantees or custodians, adding that “the issue is being discussed for 34 years or 30 years at the negotiating table”. Replying to a question on whether the issue of the British Bases would be raised at the talks, the President said that the issue was not on the agenda of the direct talks with Mr Talat. ”

Let us hope that we will be able to reach a solution with Mr Talat to reunite our island, to put an end to the occupation and terminate colonization and let’s leave this issue of the British Bases to be raised in due course by our children” he said. Regarding the role of the EU, President Christofias said that any intervention on behalf of the EU must be based on Protocol 10 and on the principles and values of the European Union. He also noted that he is in continuous contact with EU leaders and the European Commission and Parliament, informing them on the course of the talks. Asked about the significance of his forthcoming meeting to Moscow next month, President Christofias said it was highly significant just like his visit to Beijing. He further noted: “Turkey has unfortunately become a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Closer contact with the Permanent Members of the Security Council is needed”. He added that Russia was one of Cyprus' main and consistent supporters and he will surely build upon the friendship and collaboration between the two countries.Invited to say whether Turkey’s election as a non-permanent Security Council member was considered a huge failure for the Cyprus Government, the President said “all those who write and speak about a huge failure on our part should look more into international relations and stop blaming this Government. The decision by various countries to support Turkey was not made yesterday. It is the work of some years on behalf of Turkey, made with consistency and a lot of expenses, and that is why it has succeeded. I am sorry for that but let’s not blame ourselves. We tried these last months but unfortunately, as we realized, things were already predestined as regards supporting Turkey in its bid to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council”.Asked to say if he thought there was an end and a timeframe to the ongoing direct negotiations for a solution, President Christofias replied negatively and noted: “The talks might end pretty soon if there is mutual understanding and good will from both sides. There might be no conclusion if each side has different and opposing views”. He added that he expected that the international community would make its own assessments at some point but he was making it clear that personally he was not willing to receive pressure. "Those who will put pressure will bring about the opposite effect.”

US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama last week issued a strong message of support for Cyprus to the Greek American community. The statement said that as US President, Barack Obama will show leadership in seeking to negotiate a political settlement on Cyprus. Furthermore, he conveyed his strong belief that Cyprus should remain a single, sovereign country in which each of the two communities is able to exercise political authority within a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation.

"There must be a just and mutually agreed settlement of difficult issues like property, refugees, land, and security. A negotiated political settlement on Cyprus would end the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and repair the island’s tragic division while paving the way to prosperity and peace throughout the entire region. It would also give Cypriots a firm foundation on which to build their future after many years of division and uncertainty. It would help foster better Greek-Turkish relations, strengthen Turkish democracy, reduce the risk of military conflict, and remove a major obstacle to Turkish membership in the EU", he said.

Both Nikiforos and Taurus military exercises cancelled

Speaking to the press on his return from his weekly meeting of talks on the Cyprus problem with Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, President Christofias announced that the annual military exercise Nikiforos was being cancelled. Later in the day, Reuters said that Talat's spokesman had also announced the holding of the Tauros military exercise in the north.

Christofias recalled that he had asked the UN Secretary-General at their last meeting in New York last month to help get these exercises cancelled.

As regards the talks, Christofias said discussions were continuing. but he was not in a position to announce anything. He said the discussion was could and would continue. Messers Iacovou and Nami would be taking up the various issues in conjunction with respective experts and the talks would then continue next Wednesday. He refused to be drawn into saying whether he was pleased or not.

"When there is progress, we will say so”, he said.

Leaders meet more frequently

Talks between Christofias and Talat resumed yesterday with the leaders agreeing to meet on a weekly basis from now on. According to the Cyprus Mail, the move to meet more regularly came after murmurings from the UN that the process was not going fast enough.

UN Special Envoy Alexander Downer made a brief statement after yesterday’s meeting saying it had been a productive encounter. He said they had continued to discuss power sharing and governance, on which they made progress, and also began discussions about the structure of the federal executive, on which they each made proposals. Their next meeting was set for Monday when these discussions will continue. Working groups, representatives and experts will meet according to the instructions of the leaders as needed,” he added.

“I think it is, from my point of view, very important that the leaders be given plenty of space in order to continue their work, and it is important that all commentators in the media bear this in mind. This is a very important negotiation for the future of Cyprus and the leaders will need a lot of space in order to conduct those negotiations”, Downer said.Asked to comment on why the meetings were upped to one a week, Downer said there had not been meetings in recent weeks for one reason or another, and both leaders did want to meet on a weekly basis to keep the momentum of the process going.

Speaking after a meeting with Christofias the previous day, Downer had said that it is important for everybody to look to the future and to make the negotiations a success but achieving success would require great acts of statesmanship. He said he hoped the UN was being helpful and would continue to assist the leaders in achieving their set objectives. “It's clear what they ultimately want to achieve, they want to achieve a peace settlement,” he said.

Speaking on his return to the Presidential Palace after the meeting, Christofias said he was “generally satisfied” but would not elaborate other than to say that Downer's statements expressed both their views. He did say, however, that he and Talat had a friendly discussion and they would have more tête-à-têtes. “There have been three meetings so far. I don’t think we should give the message that the Cyprus problem should have been solved by now”, he said. He said there were five or six very important aspects of the problem on which the two communities have conflicting views. “This is clear. Therefore, we more than anybody else, but also you, must be patient,” he said. “We shall have progress which might not be so quick or at a great speed. So long as we have progress. Today, we have made one or two steps which concern the powers of the central government,” he added.

Meanwhile the three Elders visiting Cyprus left yesterday convinced that the two leaders were on the verge of an agreement.

Speaking at a news conference, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said The Elders considered this time to be a unique moment in history for Cyprus with two “relatively young, courageous and charismatic” leaders that were determined to find a solution. “They have so much going for them,” he said. “We want to say go for it. I’m not as young as I look. I want to come back here and celebrate with all of you.”

“We come really not as nosey old men – well I am,” said Tutu. “We have come to encourage. They (the leaders) have the capacity to tell their people: ‘It’s okay, let’s go in faith, stretch out a hand to our sisters and brothers of the other community’. We told them that success in South Africa came not because people grabbed everything and got all they wanted. Success came because the leaders were prepared to make concessions…to make compromises…not to say ‘we have a bottom line, it’s all or nothing’.”

Former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi said he could not stress enough what the Archbishop said about moments in history. “In South Africa miracles happened every day,” he said. “We have the impression that a moment like that is on hand for Cyprus.”

Tutu said that in South Africa neither Nelson Mandela, nor Frederik de Klerk could have acted alone. “Each on his own would not have accomplished what was accomplished together,” he said. “They were able to accomplish what turned out to be an epoch-making step.”

Former US President Jimmy Carter said a lot could be done to break down the barriers. “In negotiations I’ve been involved in there had to be compromises, and in each case the compromise was less important than the goal.”

Tutu also said if the leaders miss this opportunity their children and grandchildren would ask why.“Failure is not an option because if it were to happen it would set things back very, very considerably,” he said. “I hope they don’t disappoint us old men as well. We live in a world where there is a great deal of evil but there is a great deal of good as well. Look here. Maybe you could give the world something to smile about. You’ve got the capacity,” he added.

Carter said he didn’t see failure ahead. “I would say it’s not difficult to solve. I see clearly in mind that we are on the verge of seeing an agreement here with all the people wanting peace and I think it’s quite likely we will have success here,” he said. If not, then he didn’t see anything worse than a continuation of the status quo. “We didn’t come here to tell people we are know-it-alls. We came to say you are doing a splendid job and carry on to the consummation we can see on the horizon,” he added.

Tutu did warn that “the truth does not automatically heal. It can exacerbate and make worse the anguish. You want a process based on restorative, not retributive justice…not seeking to punish but to use the process for therapeutic healing.” He said the past was important but people should not be held hostage by it. “You have to deal with it at some point,” he added.

Downer and Elders to tell leaders to pull their socks up

UN Special Envoy Alexander Downer, who arrived on the island today, has said that everyone was hopeful and that he himself was cautiously optimistic about the Cyprus problem. Downer who flew in from Brussels where he met EU Commissioner Olli Rehn yesterday, will leave at the weekend for London where he will have contacts with the British government.

The Cyprus Mail quotes sources close to the process as saying that Downer is expected to give the two leaders a pep talk when he joins them in their next meeting on Friday. Although the language is couched diplomatically, the bottom line is that the UN is unhappy with the pace of the talks and with the counterproductive statements both leaders are making through the media. He is expected to give Christofias and Talat “his impressions of where the talks are at, and where they are going”, to ask them to stop talking to each other through the media and to refrain from making inflammatory speeches at international fora. A UN request for more frequent meetings could also be on the cards.

“Mr Downer is expected to explore with the leaders how he can be more helpful to them and how he can be more active,” said the sources, but that nothing would be done without their approval as both sides have an aversion to any sort of arbitration from the UN or other foreign mediators.It is understood that the UN would also like to see more of the issues being handed over to the aides to the two leaders, Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou, and Ozdil Nami, the advisor to Talat as this could speed up the pace of the negotiations.

In addition three of the twelve Elders arrived in Cyprus today to give a boost to the flagging Cyprus talks and to encourage the leaders by lending their weighty support to the process. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter and former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi will today and tomorrow meet political leaders, civil society representatives and young people from the island's Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities.

The Elders are to urge the international community to embrace the fact that a lasting settlement is within reach in Cyprus, and actively to support the leaders and the peace process. They also want to commend Christofias and Talat for their efforts to reunify the island. But they have emphasised that they would not be involved in the negotiations. "We are here to say that the world wants this island to find peace – we wish it with all our hearts. We encourage all Cypriots to look forward to the potential benefits that a peaceful resolution can bring. And we want to make sure that the current efforts of the Cypriot leaders to reach a lasting settlement are fully supported by the international community,” said Elders chairman Archbishop Tutu.

A written statement said The Elders were looking forward to their first meeting, which will be a discussion with young people from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. "Today's young people are the ones who will live with the outcome of their leaders' work. The first time in their lives that they will cast a ballot may even be to vote on the outcome of the current peace process. I hope that day is not far off. I am all too aware of the many years it has taken to get to this point,” President Carter said.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris reported that only one third of the issues related to governance and power sharing have been agreed the two leaders after three meetings of talks. Under the headline: “It’s going badly,” the newspaper leaked that they were only able to agree on seven out of 20 aspects on governance and power sharing. One of the four core issues that need to be resolved, governance was supposed to be the easiest to negotiate. Discussion on 11 of the points was temporarily postponed and on the two remaining points, the leaders were said to be in complete disagreement, according to the information.

The seven chapters agreed include citizenship and asylum, extradition and deportation, drugs smuggling, money laundering and organised crime, appointment of federal officials, copyright, and elections and referenda. The two issues they did not agree on were the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and antiquities. The former is likely related to disagreement over the possible oil and gas reserves off the island’s south-eastern coastline. The 11 postponed chapters include foreign relations and international agreements with defence policies, EU relations, Central Bank Functions, the financial and banking sectors, aviation, post office, electronic communication, transportation and natural resources.

Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe speeches

President Christofias speaking before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg earlier this week, called for an agreement to abolish military exercises on both sides in Cyprus, as well as complete demilitarisation of old Nicosia. He said he believed the two measures would improve the climate surrounding the Cyprus negotiations and would help the talks succeed.

Christofias revealed that he had asked the UN S-G to promote an agreement to abolish the annual military exercises Nikiforos and Toros that the Cyprus National Guard and the Turkish military forces hold each autumn in and around the island, as well as measures of military de-escalation, such as the disengagement of forces, particularly in the Nicosia region, including the full demilitarisation of the old town of Nicosia within the Venetian walls, the designation of a demilitarised zone, and other measures.

As regards the talks he said Cypriots did not have the luxury to fail this time around. “No solution is not a solution, as some people claim,” he said. “I believe that we can and that must succeed. The will of the Cypriot people for a solution is essential. However, it is not in itself, sufficient. Turkey, too, must contribute to the process in a positive way.”

Later at a news conference Christofias said he would even be willing to go back and live in his home village of Dikomo in the north and live under Turkish Cypriot administration in order to build confidence after a solution .

While in Strasbourg, Christofias also met up with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. The Cyprus Mail reported that Christofias, on hearing that Talat was in a nearby auditorium, knocked on the door and asked if he could "commit a peaceful invasion”. He said they sat together for about ten minutes and when Talat asked him what he was going to say in his speech he said "I am going to say that I love you. which I did today, I think, in the political sense of the word, of course, and I expect Mr Talat's response tomorrow". He added that it was a friendly meeting between friends from the two communities.

In contrast, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) a day after Christofias, listed a litany of grievances against the Greek Cypriots and blamed them for obstructing a settlement.

The Cyprus Mail reported that unlike Christofias, who talked about “all Cypriots” and mistakes of the past, Talat spoke little about his vision of a shared future, and only about how Turkish Cypriots had been wronged. He listed Turkish Cypriot grievances from isolation through to education, missing persons and the Annan plan, about which he said he could not forget "the state-led ‘no’ campaign and the negative role played by the Greek Cypriot leadership, namely, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and today’s Greek Cypriot leader and my dear friend Mr Demetris Christofias".

Speaking of the new peace process, Talat said the Turkish Cypriot people were ready to work for an early, comprehensive settlement. “The party that needs to contribute to the process and prove that it wants solution is the Greek Cypriot side,” he said.

He added that the difficultie that existed "do not emanate from Turkey, as argued by Mr Demetris Christofias. These difficulties emanate from the fact that the Greek Cypriot side is reluctant to share the sovereignty of Cyprus with the Turkish Cypriot people.”Talat said he personally showed a lot of flexibility so that the Greek Cypriot side would sit at the table, and that to “strengthen Christofias”, he had given his approval for joint statements to reflect a common language, even though it was not part of the initially agreed procedure.

“Today, I regard the initiation of comprehensive settlement negotiations as a great improvement, but I have to say that the main obstacle in front of further progress is the reluctance of the Greek Cypriot side to give effect to the Turkish Cypriots’ political equality,” said Talat.He called for an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and appealed to the Parliamentary Assembly to support proposals that would contribute to the solution instead of supporting “unilateral initiatives”.

He went on to outline his administration’s efforts to review history books and called on PACE to urge the Greek Cypriot side to “eliminate language in their own text books that encite enmity and hatred against Turkish Cypriots”. He added that while Greek Cypriot schools in the north were unfettered in their operation, it was “very saddening” that Turkish Cypriots living in Limassol had not been afforded the same opportunities amd called for the setting up of a separate school for Turkish Cypriots that would provide children with education in their mother tongue.He also referred back to 1963 on the issue of Turkish Cypriot missing persons.Talat said ultimately the Cyprus problem was a problem of cohabitation of two peoples on a small island, and although Turkish Cypriot people “had been the victim of the Cyprus problem for many years now”, they were determined to solve the problem “without being enslaved by any feelings of revenge”.

He added that the responsibility of the Turkish Cypriots who make up 20 percent of the island’s population in the creation and continuation of the Cyprus problem is very small compared to others.

Talat’s address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has sparked a disappointed reaction among Greek Cypriot politicians. Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said that for there to be any hope of a solution, he added, “we need to look ahead” and work based on the principles and agreements that the two communities have reached over the years. “What will count now is how the two communities are presenting themselves at the negotiations table, now the direct talks have begun,” he said.

DISY president Nicos Anastassiades described the speech as “completely negative”. Instead of speaking about his vision for the future of this country, he said, Talat attempted through reproaches and referring to the past, to justify unacceptable views regarding a resolution to the Cyprus problem. The DISY leader added that it was time everyone realised the need to cultivate a good climate, not just through words but in action.

The Cyprus Mail reports that the Turkish Cypriot media had a completely different take on Talat’s statements in Strasburg, which some described as a “historical speech”.

Later the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council (PACE) issued a resolution on Cyprus. In it the organisation said Cyprus should lift its objection to the direct trade regulation for Turkish Cypriots, and the breakaway north should stop asking for a separate state, said. It also called on the Greek Cypriot side to change its history books, and on the Turkish Cypriot side to halt property development on Greek Cypriot land. In addition, the organisation said Turkey should reduce its military presence in the north and normalise its relations with Cyprus, while Greece should facilitate dialogue between Turkey and Cyprus.

After hearing the views of both Cypriot leaders this week, and examining its own report on Cyprus, PACE said in a resolution that even with a new and more positive climate between the two communities, mistrust between them was still deep. New efforts were needed to reactivate inter-communal contacts, encourage dialogue, promote reconciliation and restore confidence, PACE said. However, it commended the political will and determination shown by the leaders of the two Cypriot communities and fully endorses their efforts. It urged them to develop and to maintain a climate of reconciliation, confidence and mutual respect, as well as to avoid all action or declarations that could harm the ongoing constructive dialogue and accentuate tensions.

The PACE resolution welcomed the efforts made by the EU and by Cyprus aimed at improving the situation of Turkish Cypriots, but that more needs to be done in order to facilitate Turkish Cypriots’ integration into Cyprus and Europe. It therefore called for new goodwill steps to be taken to allow increased international trade, educational, cultural and sporting contacts of the Turkish Cypriot community, "it being understood that these activities cannot be misused to attain political purposes incompatible with the aim of reunifying the island.

In this context PACE called on the Republic of Cyprus to lift objections to the adoption of the Council of the European Union’s direct trade regulation put forward by the European Commission allowing free direct trade between Turkish Cypriots and the EU through their own ports.

PACE also said the Turkish Cypriot side needed to confirm its commitment to reunifying Cyprus, and should refrain from insisting on the existence of a separate state in the north of the island. The Turkish Cypriot side should also consider specific aid to help the Turkish settlers to leave the island, and place the deserted city of Famagusta under UN control.The Assembly said it was hopeful that, despite deep-rooted differences between the parties on a number of key issues to be negotiated, the current situation offered the best opportunity in many years to reach a settlement. “President Christofias and Mr Talat are conscious that they cannot afford to fail.” All the internal and external actors involved must do their utmost to maximise the chances of success,” the resolution said.

Meanwhile the Cyprus Mail reports that U.N. Special envoy for Cyprus, Alexander Downer, will be arriving on the island on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s talks between the two leaders. Downer will arrive on the same day as Elders Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and Lakhdar Brahimi, who will visit the island for two days to help boost the negotiations process.The paper says the UN is not thrilled with the slow progress being made by Christofias and Talat, whose speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe further strained relations this week.Downer was in New York earlier in the week to brief UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on progress since the leaders first met on September 3. According to reports from New York, Downer feels the two sides have not shifted their views and positions, which has slowed the process down.He also spoke of fatigue, saying if the negotiations continued at their current pace, the initial momentum would be lost.Mediators are now deliberating on the possibility of putting the issues back to the working groups, letting them take care of the details and leaving the political decisions up to the two leaders.Otherwise endless and open-ended debating of the issue would continue.The behaviour of the two leaders once they leave the meetings has also left mediators puzzled. While the atmosphere inside is said to be cordial, once they emerge, they begin criticising each other. Downer is scheduled to meet with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on Monday , and will then fly to Brussels to meet EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn before arriving in Cyprus.

President Christofias yesterday briefed the National Council on how the negotiations in the Cyprus problem are going. Speaking after the four-hour meeting, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the parties had submitted their views on the subject and a fruitful and creative discussion had ensued.

Asked to comment on reports that UNFICYP Chief of Mission Taye-Brook Zerihoun had intervened to promote Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), Stefanou said the government did not comment on such information. “We are centering our attention on the core discussion for the Cyprus problem, because the Cyprus problem is not going to be resolved with CBMs, but with agreement on core issues,” he said.

President Demetris Christofias reached out to Turkish Cypriots in his speech to mark Cyprus' Independence Day, urging them to join Greek Cypriots in forging a new future.“Cyprus belongs to all Cypriots,” he said. “It is time to learn from the bitter experiences of the past to join hands and act as Cypriots and to close our ears to interfering voices who are only seeking to lead us into accepting foreign solutions to the detriment of our own interests.”Christofias said Cyprus was too small to be divided but “sufficiently large to accommodate all of its children”. “A reunified Cyprus can be the common home for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, respecting the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious particularities of each community,” he said.

“The Republic of Cyprus is the solid basis on which our people can enjoy progress and prosperity. This requires the preservation of the entity of the Cyprus state,” he said. The objective of reunification and the transformation of Cyprus into a bizonal, bicommunal federation remained a priority and commitment, he added, as "non-solution is not a solution and partition equals disaster.

“The reunified Federal Republic of Cyprus will be the joint state of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. There will neither be a Greek state, nor a Turkish state. It will be a common home for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots as was the Republic of Cyprus, the unitary state of 1960.”

Christofias said the mistakes of the past must not be repeated and that there is no alternative method of resolving the Cyprus problem other than peaceful negotiation under the auspices of the United Nations.

The time is now

President Christofias who is in New York for the UN General Assembly session has asked the UN Secretary-General, at a meeting he had with him in New York, to turn his attention to Ankara because he believes that is where the key to a solution in Cyprus lies, "so that the Turkish side or the Turkish Cypriot side will become more rational on the issues we are discussing regarding governance and other issues along the way”.

An official statement from the office of the UNSG said the Secretary-General welcomed Christofias' reaffirmation of his commitment to finding a solution and his willingness to continue to work with the United Nations, including Special Adviser of the Secretary-General, Mr. Downer. The Secretary-General further urged the expeditious implementation of confidence building measures. They also discussed collaboration between the United Nations and the Republic of Cyprus on global issues, including MDGs and climate change.

Christofias told the press afterwards: “I heard yesterday that Mr Talat has accused me of obstructionism. It is I who should be saying that but instead, I hear it from Mr Talat. I am sorry for these positions; there is no way Demetris Christofias will diverge from the basic principles concerning a solution to the Cyprus problem. I have passed this message on to Mr Talat and I pass it on one more time from the building of the United Nations" .He added that on his part he would show understanding and flexibility, but would not violate his principles of maintaining the unity of the state, economy and people.

Meanwhile, US Under Secretary of State Mr Daniel Fried said yesterday after a meeting with the Cypriot Foreign Minister Mr Markos Kyprianou that there has never been a better opportunity to resolve the Cyprus problem than now. While difficult issues did exist, he added, the leaders of the two communities respected each other and were committed to reunification. "Now's the time to do it", he said. Mr Fried said Washington welcomed the start of direct negotiations in Cyprus and encouraged both sides to find a way forward. He added: “The United States has always supported bi-zonal bi-communal federation, a reunified island. I congratulated both sides on the progress they have made, so we want to encourage more”.

The media have it wrong

President Christofias promises to work towards a solution decisively and seriously, while at the same time showing flexibility. He was speaking to reporters on his arrival in New York where he will attend the UN General Assembly. He is due to meet with the UN Secretary-General later today.


Makarios Droushiotis writing in Politis describes the state of the rejectionist front. He says that although there are attempts to recreate the fear in society that existed in 2004 and prevent Christofias from reaching an agreement with Talat, these are isolated efforts by individuals and not the concerted effort which they would like to give the impression exists. Although they receive considerable press coverage, they lack the other two factors that so helped them in 2004 - being in government and being in control of the Cyprus problem. He goes on to name the various individuals concerned within each party and concludes by saying that the black picture that all is not well at the talks that the media have created is far from the truth. On the contrary, the UN's evaluation is positive and don't see any deadlock on the horizon. The writer quotes a well-informed source as saying that the real picture is as follows:
- for the first time we have two leaders who both want a solution
- the atmosphere is friendly, although there are moments of tension, which is beneficial, as it shows that real negotiations are taking place.
- the UN is convinced that the two negotiators are thinking only of finding a solution and none is willing to leave the room
- the debate on "virgin birth" and "permanent derogations" is not a problem, as made out by the media. The UN have made it clear that any derogations can only be temporary and will last less time than in 2004
- the UN doesn't care what each side wants, but what they are prepared to accept. And they have no other choice but to agree.
- the procedure is slow but much faster than in 2004, when they didn't agree on anything
- the question of arbitration does not arise, because negotiations are being held in good faith. The UN will not impose solutions to deadlocks but will contribute at a later stage with ideas
- there is a deadline in reality, and the leaders know it. Their time will run out at the end of 2009
- the aim is to reach agreement before the european parliament elections (6/2009) but it might drag out till the fall
- the issues of territory and property are the thorniest questions. Security and guarantees are not as tough as they seem, nor is the question of the settlers
- the trend on the part of the media to create a negative climate is worrying, but it is difficult to see how the hysteria of 2004 can be repeated without the government's help

The Cyprus Mail on its front page today says that the doomsayers were out in force after the Christofias and Talat 's meeting on Thursday. "Newspapers scream deadlock, but where's the proof?" its headline asks. Friday’s front-page headline in right-wing Simerini screamed “Doomed” with a subhead saying the talks were going nowhere. Phileleftheros had a less dramatic headline but the implication was similar: “They want their own state….and more.” Phileleftheros accused Talat of being negative, promoting separation and seeking powerful state powers. On the Turkish Cypriot side there were also mixed interpretations by newspapers from negative to neutral but not necessarily positive. Kibris said: “Tension in statements” and referred to “sarcastic statements” by the leaders. “There is no progress,” said Vatan and Afrika with almost identical headlines, “Who is telling the truth?” said Halkin Sesi. “Christofias: ‘Talat acts in a double-faced manner’. Talat: ‘Let Christofias look in the mirror’,” said Ortam.

The paper quotes a source close to the talks as saying: “It’s all par for the course”. The source said there could be a number of reasons why some newspapers had decided to view the process so far in a negative light. One was the well-known existence of factions who do not want a solution. And the closer it seemed to a solution being found, the louder they became. Those who are looking positively at the situation and know the Cyprus issue well, will realise that the absence of a deadlock is actually progress. A lot of it is just posturing, the source said. “The two leaders are talking seriously and are committed but they still continue to play to their respective public and pander to certain factions. They are politicians,” he said.“This was only the second meeting of substantive talks and they have covered a lot of ground. The meetings have been long and they have not agreed on everything but they have not been acrimonious,” the source added. He said it was all being done in a very businesslike way. He said there were people on both sides that did not want solution. “And it’s only going to get worse,” he said. “If they see more traction, the criticism and attacks will worsen.”

Loucas Charalambous writing in Politis and the Mail says "these ridiculous media negotiations" have to stop and calls on Christofias and Talat to stop making public statements every day and focus on seeing whether we could, at long last, reach an agreement. The two leaders must get serious. They must realise that they cannot be conducting two sets of negotiations simultaneously – a real one at the negotiating table and a populist one through the media because they feel obliged to keep happy rival political leaders. Christofias had been trying to reassure Garoyian, Koutsou and Omirou while Talat has been thinking too much about Ertugruloglu, Eroglu and Denktash. It is a recipe for failure. If they carry on this way, before long they will become prisoners of their own unnecessary public declarations and at some point will become “obliged to fail” at the negotiating table in order to stay true to their sloganeering during the ‘media negotiations’. Christofias in particular needs to understand that he cannot have his cake and eat it. It is impossible to arrive at a deal with Talat and keep Garoyian, Omirou and Koutsou happy at the same time. The people voted for him and not the Garoyian/Koutsou/Omirou candidates in the elections. He should therefore focus on fulfilling the promise of a settlement and forget the defeated demagogues.

Neither deadlock, nor progress

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in Cyprus Dimitris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday met for five hours yesterday continuing their discussions on power sharing and governance. This time no media representatives were allowed anywhere near the venue.

In comments after the meeting, Talat said there was “neither deadlock nor great progress, but nor could it be called unproductive. He added that once the issue of governance and power sharing was exhausted and they moved on to property, it did not necessarily mean agreement would have been reached on the first topic. “It will just mean that we have discussed all aspects,” he said.

His words were echoed by Christofias who, on his return to the Presidential Palace after the meeting, said: “We are moving forward but there are some pending issues”. Christofias said the discussion on this particular topic had not been completed and that it would be taken up again when the leaders next meet on October 8. He said at the next meeting they would take up the issue of executive power, which was part of the overall chapter on governance and power sharing. These included discussions on the powers of the central government, legislative authority, judicial authority, and the mechanism for the resolution of disputes. “There are a lot of issues, so it will take time,” he said.

Christofias said the climate of yesterday’s meeting was good. “The meetings always take place in a friendly spirit, regardless of whether we agree or not,” he said.Before the meeting Christofias told the press when asked about Talat’s recent public statements: “What counts for me is what he promises during that talks which I hope he will abide by,” he said. "Mr. Talat says and accepts one thing inside and proclaims another outside. People should know this.”

He also said no settlement could be reached unless the two leaders were speaking the same language. “I told Mr Talat that he should appear more reasonable and to extend his hand, otherwise if we don't find a common language, a solution won't be found either at the end of this or any other year,” Christofias added.

The process so far has had its ups and downs, the more recent ones being accusations against Talat for breaking a self-imposed news blackout that the two leaders had agreed upon. The mood improved somewhat at the weekend when they both attended a bicommunal youth peace initiative and joined hands while pledging to work for a solution.

This time it's different

Makarios Droushiotis in Politis says the difference this time with all other times that negotiations were held on the Cyprus problem is that this time they're genuine. This, he says, was the conclusion the UN reached after the very first meeting between Talat and Christofias. According to a foreign diplomat the chemistry between the two men was evident from the start and it has since become clear that this time there exists the political will for a solution. He compares the situation today with that in 2004 where both Denktash and Papadopoulos went to talks with the intention of sabotaging them, the former openly the later underhandedly. The UN don't set much store on where they agreed or disagreed at the first face to face meeting, but on the fact that the two leaders convinced that they had every intention of working towards a solution in good faith and that they did not have any Plan B in mind. According to sources, the two leaders will be in charge of the talks but at a later stage the UN could join in but not through any form of binding arbitration, but in order to contribute ideas for give-and-take. The last word in the negotiations will be up to the leaders. The UN does not expect agreement to emerge from the first stage. They recognise that this is a difficult process, but believe that sufficient progress will have been achieved to result in a successful outcome at the bargaining stage, which will be a one way road for both sides. The writer goes on to say that Christofias has sent a letter to the President of the EU Commission, Manuel Barroso asking that the Cyprus problem be put under the wing of the Presidency rather than the Enlargement Commission as it has been to date. His argument is that now that Cyprus is a full EU member it no longer needs to be handled by the Enlargement commission, but in actual fact Nicosia, it seems, is suspicious of that committee as a result of its relation with Turkey which is the largest country applying for membership. Information from Brussels say that the EU is annoyed by this move because it seems they forget how much the Enlargement Commission under Mr Verheugen helped Cyprus to join with the Cyprus problem still unsolved. What's more the Enlargement Commission is the only one that can exert positive pressure on Turkey to cooperate in solving the Cyprus problem. What's more the UN itself would like to have some kind of coordinator with the EU and would also prefer this comes from Barroso's office rather than the Enlargement Commission. On their part the T/Cs do not want the EU to get involved past a technocratic level because Cyprus is a full member and may influence the decisions taken.


Politis says that the security issue and the issue of guarantees has taken on a much greater role in the new talks on the Cyprus problem than before. Previously it was easier as noone at the table questioned the continuation of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee. Different scenarios are currently being discussed behind the scenes that could replace this treaty. For the moment the two sides seem at opposite ends with the G/Cs wanting a reevaluation of the guarantees but not the abolition of the 1960 Treaty as it would endanger the future transformation of the republic to a federation and the T/Cs and Turkey wanting it to continue as it is especially Turkey's right of intervention. The international community seems to have realised that the security issue needs to be examined. They are taking on board the G/C view that the new state cannot be a nanny state, but they also know how important security is for Turkey. The scenarios being discussed include an increased UN force, an EU force (ardently supported by Sweden and Holland), a NATO force and a special force.


Loucas Charalambous writing in the Mail and Politis attacks the rejectionists for criticising recent statements by the president that he did not object to 50,000 settlers from the Turkish mainland remaining after a solution. Their main argument being that by revealing this position just before the start of direct talks would bind him to accept this or a bigger number of settlers; if he started from the position that he would not accept any settler remaining, he would supposedly have the ability to negotiate the stay of a smaller number. This argument is based on the naïve assumption that every time a new procedure begins it does so with a clean slate. They pretend not to be aware of what had happened in Cyprus from 1963 to the present day. Everyone knows that a sizeable number of Turkish citizens would stay on in Cyprus after a settlement. Even the European acquis, which we are always referring to, safeguards this right for large numbers of settlers. It is a reality that neither Christofias nor anyone else has the power to change. Under the circumstances, his statement was far from harmful. On the contrary it could be turn to his advantage. By publicly accepting in advance of talks, something that he would have to accept anyway, he gives himself the opportunity to demand reciprocal shows of good intentions from the Turkish side. Besides, the rejectionists are partly responsible for the growing scale of the problem. Back in 2004, Talat had given a list containing only 41,000 names of settlers who would have stayed on the island. If this number has increased to 200,000 in the ensuing period, the people to blame are Papadopoulos and the other political pygmies who voted for partition back in 2004.


The Mail's satirical column Coffeeshop says that self-righteous hacks and politicians spent most of Friday having a go at Mehmet Ali Talat for breaking the embargo on statements about the talks. Talat had given an interview to a Turkish TV channel after Thursday’s first round of negotiations and said a few general things about what had been discussed at the meeting. This was a far cry from what the Denktator used to do during talks. As soon as he came out of the negotiating room he would make some inflammatory statements, designed to outrage the Greek Cypriots and poison the climate. Talat’s comments were nothing like that, but this did not stop our hacks from taking the moral high ground and making a big issue out of it. I was particularly impressed with the look of moral superiority on the face of CyBC’s prim and proper Paris Potamitis when he was presenting Friday’s lunch-time chat show on TV. He kept coming back to the violation of the embargo, constantly encouraging his guests to talk about it. This was the same TV hack who during the period before the referendum was only too happy to report bits of negatively spun information about the talks that were leaked to him by the Ethnarch’s poodles and were aimed at boosting opposition to the A-plan. The ethical Paris never protested, back then, that the news black-out on the talks was being systematically violated by his hero, Ethnarch Tassos.Phileleftheros’ Kostas Venizelos, another recipient of Ethnarchic leaks during the A-plan talks, was also angered by the two-faced Turk’s tactics. Yet in the very same article Venizelos also went on to reveal plenty of details about what had been discussed at Thursday’s meeting between the two comrades, listing the respective positions of both sides and the arguments they advanced, a lot more than Talat had said. And as Venizelos is too patriotic to get his information from the Turkish side we can only assume that the embargo was broken by a member of Christofias’ team.


Former President George Vasiliou in an interview in Politis says he believes the direct talks on Cyprus will last at the most a year but believes they cannot drag on for longer because of the elections on the north. He also said that the working groups made good work and their main achievement was for each sides to set out its positions so they can be clearly seen by the other side, allowing the leaders to proceed with the give and take.


Yiangos Mikellides in his regularly weekly column in Politis says he sometimes asks himself do i really want to live with the T/C. He says he does but still has a fear in him which he knows is unreasonable and which he tries to reason with. He says that even though he strongly supported the Annan plan because he does not believe in partition and is romantic and wants a Cyprus that is unitary, non-aligned, independent and democratic, he believes that the time has come when each and every one of us must ask ourselves what we really want. Partition or reunification. If we really want partition, he says, and he believes 70% do, it's stupid to be going back and forth with useless discussions.