PRESIDENT TALAT: “THE UN IS WAITING FOR THE GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE TO TAKE AN INITIATIVE”

President Mehmet Ali Talat in an interview with the Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros gave information about his latest meeting the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the 8 July process.

Fileleftheros reported that President Talat said; “he didn’t feel obligated to take an initiative on the Cyprus problem and was waiting for the response of the Greek Cypriot side in order to decide on a reasonable process for starting the substantive negotiations”.

President Talat in the interview pointing out that; ‘he observed that the UN Secretary General was waiting for the Greek Cypriot side to take an initiative for the start of a new negotiations process, said during his meeting with the Secretary General; ‘he had clearly expressed the Turkish Cypriot side’s position and readiness for the start of the negotiations towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem in 2008’. Talat added that; ‘for this reason the UN Secretary General was expecting the Greek Cypriot side in particular, to adopt a positive stance’.

Stressing that he was ready to start the negotiations immediately, but Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos was insisting on a preparation period prior to negotiations, President Talat reminded that although 14 months had passed since the 8 July Agreement, no single technical committee could be established.

Stating that a preparation period was necessary but should be within a limited time- table, Talat said it was for this reason that the he had proposed a 2 and a half month preparation period and the establishment of 5 working groups in 5 September meeting.

Explaining that the UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari had written a letter in order to clarify the 8 July process, Talat said in fact the process was not clear and added that Papadopoulos’ latest proposals sent to the UN Secretary General were even more complicated.

Pointing out that the 8 July process was deemed as a preparation process itself and Gambari also saw it like that, President Talat said however Papadopoulos was saying that ‘a solution would grow out of this process’.

President added that Papadopoulos’ letter sent to the UN Secretary General was not a new initiative and did not include anything different from Gambari’s letter.

Talat stating that the first step towards the solution of the Cyprus problem should come from the Greek Cypriot side, said the reason for this was not Greek Cypriot side’s rejection of the Annan plan, but that although he was expressing his readiness for starting the negotiations, Papadopoulos was claiming that a preparation period was necessary.

Responding to a question whether he had plans for the steps to be taken henceforth on the Cyprus problem, Talat said there were many ideas being discussed in the world’s agenda regarding the Cyprus problem and that he didn’t’ have any plans but was committed to the reunification of the island.

On being asked what he meant by reunification, President said he meant two founding states which would establish partnership like a federal country where the two peoples or states would be politically equal, adding that the political equality constituted the core of the Cyprus problem.

President explained that the political equality he meant was the one included in the UN Secretary General’s report and stressed that until today all the federations had been formed of states.