Turkish Cypriot point of view

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (09.07.08) says Christofias “drew a rose-coloured picture of developments on the Cyprus problem” in his news conference. Afrika's says the solution that Christofias and Talat envisage was: “Two bi-communal, bi-zonal provinces. Two provinces, which will have equal status and equal authorities. The state will be united, the economy will be united”. Halkin Sesi and Star Kibris both quote Christofias as saying “’The key of the solution is in Ankara’” while Yeni Duzen headlines his words: “’We have to agree on the federation’”. Kibrisli says “Talat wants sovereignty!” and notes that Christofias had admitted that Talat had demanded that the provinces be sovereign but that he had not accepted this. Ortam leads with his quote: “’The Cyprus problem should be solved by the Cypriots’”.

Kibris reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat said in an interview with Bayrak that the Turkish Cypriots will share sovereignty in the federal government equally with the Greek Cypriots and added that the federal government should not be considered as a Greek Cypriot government. He added that the single sovereignty and the single citizenship of the federal state are principles contained in all solution plans to date and are within the parameters of the United Nations. How this will be implemented will be discussed during the comprehensive negotiations. Mr Talat described as “inconceivable” the fact that the single sovereignty is perceived as Greek Cypriot sovereignty.

Yeni Duzen adds that Talat stressed that the Turkish Cypriots have not abandoned their sovereignty and added that the issue of a single sovereignty does not mean sovereignty of the Greek Cypriot side. Talat said: “The partners of the sovereignty are these two people. Furthermore, where in the world are there two sovereignties? From 1997 until the Annan Plan was submitted in 2002, the Turkish side pursued the policy of confederation, but now everybody knows that confederation is not a complete solution. The UN as well does not approve of this and considers it to be wrong”. Mr Talat said that the single sovereignty and the single citizenship are not disputable. He noted that any future agreement will be submitted to the approval of the “two separate peoples” before being put into effect and this shows that “there are two sovereign peoples in this agreement”. He noted that some parties oppose the efforts for the solution for political reasons. Mr Talat also said that their relations with Turkey are special and Turkey has never interfered directly in the Cyprus problem. He added: “The issue of Turkey’s interfering in our affairs is a complete lie. Of course we consult each other. Of course we hold meetings frequently”.

Vatan reports that Serdar Denktash, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), accused Talat of committing a terrible mistake in accepting the single sovereignty and expressed the view that this should rapidly be corrected. He added that Talat has enabled Christofias' “osmosis plan” come into effect.

Yeni Duzen reports that Serdar visited his father the former Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas and Tahsin Ertugruloglu, chairman of the National Unity Party (UBP). Rumour has it that the three men consider the stage which the process towards a solution of the Cyprus problem has reached today as a threat and that they will exert every effort to stop it. Another daily Bakis adds that Rauf Denktas said that the only way out of the tunnel they have entered in the Cyprus problem is submission to the will of the Greek Cypriots. It says he was surprised when he read Talat’s statement to Alithia. “Talat is saying that the TRNC is one of the founding states, but he is also saying that the TRNC will be a province. I do not think that the Greek Cypriots will accept such a thing”. Vatan says that Rauf Denktash, said that the issue of the “single sovereignty and single citizenship” on which the two leaders have agreed, will eliminate the “TRNC” and turn it into a province with minority rights. He said that this agreement ignores the “reality of two peoples and two states” in Cyprus.