“Unfortunately, the Turkish side responded negatively. They responded negatively, and just consider the weak position the Turkish side is in—because it is in a weak position when someone refuses a joint meeting.”
President Christodoulides
The looming impasse in the Cyprus issue has now been formally confirmed. And what remains on the surface is the mutual blame game.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“The intention was to create the impression that there was a reason and a basis for such a meeting and that we rejected it. We didn’t fall for that ploy. The Secretary-General and his envoy saw that there was no progress, nor any intention to make progress. We don’t hold meetings just for the sake of holding meetings.”
Tufan Erhurman – Turkish Cypriot leader
“A joint meeting, simply to have a discussion, to broaden the horizons, and to explore the prospects for resuming talks, based on some new ideas that have been put forward.”
President Christodoulides
“Christodoulides raised the request for a 2+1 meeting during his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, and this request was conveyed to him through his personal envoy. I asked Olgin whether the Greek Cypriot side had committed to substantive progress, but I did not receive an affirmative answer. I also asked her whether this meeting made sense. And her own assessment was also negative.”
Tufan Erhürman
With the President of the Republic making clear jabs primarily at Ankara, as some wish for the current Secretary-General’s term to end so they can attempt to make changes either to the basis of the talks or to the negotiating framework.
“My message is that under no circumstances whatsoever will either of these things happen.”
President Christodoulides
Until the very last moment
In any case, the United Nations gave it a try.
Both Olgin and Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo met with the Turkish Cypriot negotiator, and they also held a joint meeting with the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Menelaos Menelaou.
However, there was no response…
In fact, the Turkish Cypriot side complained that the Republic of Cyprus had sent a letter to all Permanent Missions and diplomatic observer missions at the United Nations, requesting that there be no contact with representatives of the pseudo-state.
“You know, confidence-building measures require not only the creation of new areas of cooperation but also the avoidance of steps that could erode that trust. What kind of trust are we talking about when there’s an attempt to cancel two festivals and the youth camp of the Barcelona soccer academy?”
Tufan Erhurman
So what now?
Speaking last night at an event organized by the Cypriot diaspora in New York, shortly before departing the American metropolis, the President of the Republic emphasized that the UN Secretary-General had assured him that, right up until the last day of his term, he would continue to work toward the resumption of talks.
Tonight, the Portuguese official will meet with Erhurman; following this meeting, he is expected to shed light on the progress of the process.
Based on current information, the most likely scenario is that he will ask the two leaders to continue meeting as frequently as possible.
However, he himself is well aware that there is now no chance he will go down in history as the UN Secretary-General during whose tenure the Cyprus problem was resolved.
Watch Giorgos Georgiadis’s report:
