Talks cancelled then resumed after row over Agios Mamas

Talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot community leaders were cancelled yesterday after a row broke out over a Greek Cypriot pilgrimage to the Church of Agios Mamas in the Morphou district. Greek Cypriots accused that checks by the Turkish Cypriots at the Limnitis crossing point caused huge delays and led to the cancellation of the trip.

But President Christofias picked up the phone to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday and exchanged views over what had happened.They agreed to discuss the matter further at their next planned meeting on September 10.

An informal meeting between Christofias and party leaders last night at the Presidential Palace also aimed to silence critics of the government over its handling of the affair, at least for now.

Twenty-seven buses filled with Greek Cypriot pilgrims turned back from Limnitis crossing after Turkish Cypriot ‘police’ boarded, demanded to see IDs and then refused entry to those who were not on the official list or whose ID names were somewhat different to those on the list. Both sides blamed the other for the cancelled pilgrimage with the Turkish Cypriot leadership saying the buses turned up late, with extra people on board who were not on the agreed list. The Greek Cypriots argued there was an over-zealous handling of the affair, with a failure to show mutual respect and understanding, following strict efforts to check every single pilgrim’s identity.

The whole fiasco threw a spanner in the works of the peace process, leading Christofias to call for “more mutual respect” from the Turkish Cypriot side, while UN Special Envoy Alexander Downer registered his disappointment.

The talks now appear to be back on track with the second round now scheduled to start next Thursday.

The Cyprus Mail reports that the incident was not without consequences, however, as sharp comments from political players on both sides of the divide and abroad yesterday burst the bubble of hope precariously hovering above the UN-controlled Nicosia airport.Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Dervis Eroglu accused Christofias of “leaving the negotiations table with lame excuses”, saying he had “no intention for reconciliation”. Talat’s spokesman Hasan Ercakica said the cancellation was an effort by the Greek Cypriot side to slow down the talks using “flimsy excuses”. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that alternative solutions would have to be found if further delays were experienced, while Turkey’s chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis told reporters that the temporary delay demonstrated Greek Cypriots’ lack of commitment to resolving the island’s 35-year division. He also told Reuters that Turkey had no intention of opening its ports and airports to Cypriot-flagged ships and planes until the EU establishes direct trade with the Turkish Cypriots.

At home DISY leader Nicos Anastasiades noted that better coordination by the government of the pilgrims’ trip could have avoided what some people wanted to provoke. He added this does not justify the actions of the occupying regime in taking advantage of certain mistakes. Coalition partner DIKO’s acting head Georghios Colocassides berated the government for entering into an arrangement with the Turkish Cypriot side in the first place, saying: “You can’t trust someone who is a systematic violator.”