Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots start preparations for re-unification talks

21/04/2008

Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot negotiators have launched preparations for full-fledged negotiations aimed at re-unifying the divided island.

By Ayhan Simsek for Southeast European Times --21/04/08

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias (left) and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on March 21st to start a new re-unification process. [Getty Images]

Legal and constitutional experts, lawyers and other representatives from both communities met on Friday (April 18th) for the first time in more than four years, to lay groundwork for talks between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders.

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on March 21st to start a new process, which is expected to officially begin by the end of June. The decades-long division of Cyprus continues to be the major obstacle to Turkey’s EU bid and still causes friction between NATO allies Turkey and Greece.

Hopes for reaching a settlement rose after Christofias replaced hardline predecessor Tassos Papadopoulos in February. Papadopoulos helped thwart the last major effort to re-unify Cyprus in 2004 by campaigning vigorously against a plan proposed by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Later he turned down proposals from Talat for new talks and refused to meet him.

In contrast, Christofias already has met with the Turkish Cypriot leader twice, and they will likely meet again socially on May 7th before the working groups conclude their effort.

Özdil Nami, the chief aide to Talat, described the first meeting of the panels on Friday as a "positive start". "We have reasons to be optimistic," he said, stressing that both sides display "good will" and appointed their most experienced officials to the committees. "Our objective is to finish committee work in under three months and make documents for talks between our president and Christofias ready by the time they meet," he said.

George Iacovou, the Greek Cypriot chief negotiator, also urged his team to adopt a constructive approach. "You should regard your counterparts at the talks not in a confrontational spirit but as fellow workers with a common cause," he said.

For these preparatory talks, the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots formed six working groups and seven technical committees. The working groups will look at complex settlement issues, such as government and power sharing, EU matters, security, territorial disputes and the economy. The technical committees will focus on daily matters such as crime prevention, cultural heritage, humanitarian issues, trade, public health and environmental protection. Around 130 experts will participate in the discussions.

The working groups and technical committees will meet every four days, whiles aides to Talat and Christofias will meet every fifth day in order to monitor progress and discuss solutions to possible disagreements.

The UN, which is mediating the process, welcomed the first meeting of negotiators. "As we have said before, the UN will do all that it can to help the two sides in their search for a sustainable and mutually acceptable solution," Elizabeth Spehar, special representative of the UN secretary-general said.

"We hope that concrete results can be achieved … that will provide a solid basis for the two leaders to move forward," she said.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has also said that his 27-member bloc would support all efforts that lead to a comprehensive solution, in his reply to a motion on Cyprus brought to the European Parliament.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed support for Cyprus talks in a letter to the UN secretary-general and EU members last month, and he urged consideration of the Annan Plan while the groundwork is laid for new talks.

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been divided for over three decades between the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot administration in the south and the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north, which remains shunned internationally.

UN attempts to re-unify the island repeatedly stalled, most recently in 2004 when the majority of Greek Cypriots voted against the Annan Plan. Turkish Cypriots, in a separate referendum in April 2004, voted for the plan, but it required endorsement by both sides in order for a re-unified Cyprus to enter the EU.