Speculation and rumours

Turkey wants talks aimed at reunifying Cyprus to conclude soon and a referendum by the end of 2009, President Abdullah Gul told a news conference with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on Monday, Cyprus' Financial Mirror reported yesterday.

"We want the negotiations to be concluded speedily. If possible, we want to see (the result of the negotiations) submitted to the public through a referendum by the end of this year," Gul said.

Talat said there was progress in some areas in negotiations with the Greek Cypriots, while some others remain difficult to solve.

Yeni Duzen newspaper under the headline “Summit for Guarantees in Ankara”, writes that Talat went to Ankara in order to discuss the issue of guarantees.

Under no circumstance whatsoever, would we want other countries to continue to supervise us through guarantees," Asked to comment on reports in the Turkish Cypriot press on the issue of guarantees, he said: "I have not made any alternative proposals for the continuation of guarantees. Our position is that Cyprus does not need guarantees. The Cypriot people are mature; they have suffered a lot as a result of the guarantor powers, although I am not suggesting that Cypriots or some Cypriots do not bear any responsibility. Nevertheless, under no circumstance whatsoever, as people have suffered so much, would we want other countries to continue to supervise us through guarantees. This is our position, we expressed and supported it in public and at the negotiating table and the negotiation process continues ".

Meanwhile, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou, commenting on information that the "give and take" process is expected to start very soon, said: "We are still at the first stage, what we call the first reading. We have to finish this and then we will see" . He acknowledged that speculation and rumours as to when the "give and take" process will start and when the referenda will take place existed and were bound to continue, but added that certainly the time factor was important because the passing of time consolidates the occupation. He stressed that "what is important is the quality of the solution and that we want to achieve and a solution the soonest possible, which will solve the problems created in 1974, a solution that will heal the wounds and offer the possibility to all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Maronites and Latins handling our fate to also construct our future, without giving the opportunity to foreigners to intervene in our country’s internal affairs".

He noted that "we have suffered enough from interventions as well from imposed solutions". "The process is Cypriot, we will decide on how to proceed and the aim is to reach a mutually acceptable solution, which will be submitted at simultaneous and separate referenda. We need to repeat this again and again in order to remind some people that we have an agreed process and that it is not others who will decide on how we will proceed".

Moreover, invited to comment on reports that the EU was discussing the possibility of imposing a Taiwan-type solution in Cyprus in case of failure at the direct talks for a Cyprus settlement, the Spokesman said: "We have one goal, the solution of the Cyprus problem because without a solution the danger of perpetuating division is evident. Consequently, there is one goal and one mission, namely the just, viable and functional settlement of the Cyprus problem. While the problem remains unresolved the dangers which the President of the Republic has described as ‘deadly’ are there and therefore we should not rest and wait for others to determine our own future".

Asked to comment on information that President Christofias had warned Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat that no settlement would be reached if occupied Morphou was not returned, Mr Stefanou stated: "Whatever we have to say we say it boldly at the negotiating table, aiming always to help reach a solution of the Cyprus problem. Mr Talat is making various statements and many things are being said publicly, but we have said it and we remain consistent: we do not negotiate publicly as this would be counterproductive and not helpful to the goal of reaching a settlement; we say what we have to say at the negotiating table".