Under the title: “’Christofias was not cornered’”, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (22.02.12) reports that Ozdil Nami, special representative of former Turkish Cypriot leader Talat, has said that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu is responsible for the existing deadlock in the Cyprus problem. In statements to private Ada television, Nami noted yesterday that Eroglu is not a leader who has the vision of a federal Cyprus.
Nami pointed out that Eroglu’s stance is in the direction of “exhausting the negotiations” as soon as possible and declaring that no federal solution could be found.
He said: “Eroglu has never gone to the table with proposals which could corner Christofias…While Talat was negotiating with Christofias, we were pushing Christofias towards the solution and he had coalition partners EDEK and DIKO who were annoyed by this. EDEK resigned. DIKO was threatening every day that it would resign. Christofias was trying to negotiate having this concern. Our approach was that we should not use this against Christofias and that we should make some agreements but wait in the corner. However, Eroglu’s approach is not like this. He has a different strategy saying that since Christofias is in this situation, there is no need for me to do anything. Let him announce that this job cannot happen…The inevitable end of the strategy he is following is to lead the faith in the solution in both sides to zero…”
Nami noted that Eroglu rejected the cross voting as soon as he was elected “president” of the regime and caused waste of time in the negotiations. Nami said also that the reason for the deadlock in the property issue is Eroglu, because he says he could not touch the [occupied Greek Cypriot properties] which the regime distributed as properties of equivalent value. Nami pointed out that the deadlock on the issue of the election of the federal administration is also deriving from Eroglu, because he abandoned Talat’s approach.
Nami argued that if some convergences are achieved on the property and the cross voting, the UN Secretary-General Special Advisor Alexander Downer’s report might be positive and the way for a multilateral conference might be paved.
Nami alleged that if Eroglu exhibits a stance in favour of the solution, like Talat, Turkey will never prevent this.