No progress

The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders met for almost three hours on Monday night in a friendly, informal meeting in the buffer zone that made zero progress in overcoming the deadlock on a joint declaration needed to kick-start negotiations on a Cyprus settlement, the Cyprus Mail reports.

Speaking after the meeting, President Nicos Anastasiades told waiting reporters that the road would be long.

“Unfortunately there is still a long way to go until we reach the desired outcome, a goal that will allow the resumption of a substantive dialogue between the leaders of the two communities and that will create well-grounded prospects for a successful conclusion.”

According to the paper, the meeting went well in terms of atmosphere but not on substance, with the two positions remaining apart.

Eroglu also read out a statement in which said he had proposed to Anastasiades to skip the joint declaration and start negotiations immediately.

Eroglu accused Anastasiades of turning the joint statement into a precondition, despite the fact the Turkish Cypriots were ready to resume negotiations from where they left off.

Although the two appointed negotiators have worked on a draft statement since the first week of September, “this exercise has reached a saturation point” because the Greek Cypriot side is trying to include issues of substance that need to be discussed within the framework of fully-fledged negotiations, said Eroglu.

“We proposed some new formulas to Mr Anastasiades in order to overcome these difficulties,” he said.

Eroglu said he proposed resuming fully-fledged negotiations with Anastasiades on the governance and power-sharing chapter as all issues of substance raised by the Greek Cypriots in the draft joint statement are elements of that chapter. The talks could resume on Anastasiades’ return from abroad – he leaves for Brussels today and then Lithuania, returning on Saturday- “with a view to concluding them”, said Eroglu.

The Turkish Cypriot leader said he also reiterated his proposal of May 30, 2013, that the two leaders visit the Apostolos Andreas Monastery together.

“I think the realisation of such a visit before Christmas will give a positive message to our respective publics.”

Eroglu concluded: “The message I want to convey to you tonight is clear: The necessary basis exists in the form of convergences which are on the negotiating table. I am ready to sit at the table without any preconditions, upon Mr Anastasiades’ return from abroad.”

For his part, Anastasiades refrained from entering into details, sticking to his demand for a joint declaration before talks can start in full.

He said he undertook the initiative for an informal meeting with Eroglu to ascertain whether the two could conclude a joint declaration that will pave the way for a solution of the Cyprus problem.

“It was a useful meeting that allowed the two sides to understand clearly both each other’s positions and the reasons that prevent a joint declaration.”

The Greek Cypriot intention is to continue consultations between the two negotiators with the ultimate goal being the conclusion of a joint communiqué to open the way for talks to resume, he added.

The paper says that the failure to reach an agreement keeps the process suspended, as Eroglu is sticking to his guns on demanding that the federated states be considered “founding states” in a new, reunited Cyprus, giving them sovereignty and “residual powers” to decide on matters such as citizenship.

On the other side, the Greek Cypriots are unlikely to agree to enter into talks without an agreed joint declaration addressing their concerns, as any failure of the peace process is seen as opening the door to Eroglu to push for cementing the division of the island by upgrading the breakaway regime.

 Peace talks in ‘very tragic situation’

The talks are currently in a “very tragic situation”, with the Turkish Cypriots eyeing a “divorce” post-settlement, Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis said,  following the unsuccessful meeting on Monday night.

Speaking to CyBC radio, Mavroyiannis said that Eroglu spoke clearly of two sovereign states and refused to budge from his “hard line positions” despite the president’s many efforts.

“He insists that we have two sovereign states that will decide one day to join together and share in common a small number of powers, and they will maintain their sovereignty, citizens and all characteristics of a sovereign state.”

It’s a “very tragic situation”, said Mavroyiannis.

While the meeting itself, which lasted over two and a half hours, was held in a “very good, friendly atmosphere”, Eroglu would not move an inch from his “extreme position”, he said.

“The president showed all the good will, calmness and patience, in an effort to present matters with a view to prospects for the future,” he said, adding, “instead of trying to discuss terms of reunification, we cannot, at this stage, be discussing the terms of a future divorce, because behind this extreme position, is the idea that one day, each will go their own way.”

The Greek Cypriots cannot resume fully-fledged negotiations without first clarifying the basis of the talks, as specified in UN resolutions, and the methodology in a joint declaration, Mavroyiannis said.

“It’s not a question of terminology, but of a completely different approach. They are saying, let’s start the talks and see what happens on the way. We insist these issues have to be cleared up now,” Mavroyiannis said.

“The gap between us was made abundantly clear. We have a serious problem before us. We never underestimated its size. We will continue our efforts. But without movement on these extreme positions, we cannot see how to start with a meeting of the leaders and fully-fledged negotiations.”

Mavroyiannis confirmed that Eroglu handed over two draft proposals near the end of Monday’s meet. The one suggested skipping the joint declaration and entering into direct talks on the governance and power-sharing chapter, a proposal unacceptable to the Greek Cypriots who on the one hand, won’t proceed without a joint declaration, and on the other, do not wish to engage in peace talks chapter by chapter but by crossing through chapters.

The second proposal repeated “extreme” positions on the joint declaration.

Mavroyiannis today briefed the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on the informal meeting. UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer was updated on Monday night.

The Cyprus News Agency quoted a Greek Cypriot source as saying that the Turkish Cypriots are approaching the peace talks with a plan B already in mind.

This proves “we cannot build frail structures. Things have to be clear. We are ready in the framework of the process to provide the other side with safeguards which we consider self-evident, in order to meet their questions and insecurities. But we will not negotiate on issues pertaining to a clear basis (for the talks),” he said.

According to the Turkish Cypriot press, Eroglu acknowledged that agreement could not be reached on starting talks, adding that patience is needed in such cases.

Eroglu said the world needed to know the “realities” in Cyprus and called on the Turkish Cypriot youth to work to preserve the breakaway regime.

AKEL’s spokesman expressed “deep concern” at the turn things are taking and criticised the government for doing away with the two joint statements of the previous leaders, Mehmet Ali Talat and Demetris Christofias.

Ruling DISY said the meeting showed how critical it was to clarify from the start the basis and aim of the talks. If talks start without a common understanding on the basic foundations of a federal state, they will be “doomed to failure”.

DIKO leader Marios Garoyian said the Turkish side’s intransigent positions and the “Pontius Pilate” approach of the UN Secretariat have led matters to a dangerous impasse.