Cypriots seek direct peace negotiations

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Cypriots seek direct peace negotiations

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

NICOSIA, Cyprus: Cyprus’ rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders met in Nicosia on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for historic negotiations on reunifying the ethnically divided island.

A senior UN official said Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed in principle that any settlement should involve a single state, with common citizenship for all Cypriots.

“The two leaders met today in a positive and cooperative atmosphere,’’ said Taye-Brook Zerihoun, the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy for Cyprus.

“They discussed the issues of single sovereignty and citizenship, (on) which they agreed in principle.’’ Zerihoun hosted a four-and-a-half hour meeting at his official residence inside the UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated the communities for more than three decades.

He said Christofias and Talat reviewed the work of expert committees from both sides, who have been meeting since April to prepare for full direct negotiations between the two leaders.

Zerihoun said Christofias, who heads the island’s internationally recognised government, and Talat agreed to hold another preparatory meeting on July 25. Initially set for the end of June, the direct talks have been delayed by at least a month because of disagreements on some of the more contentious issues.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after an Athens-backed coup aimed at union with Greece. The breakaway Turkish Cypriot north is only recognised by Turkey.

Reunification talks have been deadlocked since 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN reunification blueprint in a referendum. Turkish Cypriots accepted it.

[source]

[agamemnon]

This problem will never be solved (at least in a fair way) because it is the Turkish generals who are making the decisions and not Talat.

The Turks want to be treated in a future Cypriot state as if they are the 50% of the population and that in my opinon is unfair.