Eroglu: The leaders will not be meeting any more
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (01.05.12) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu has said that the statement made by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Alexander Downer binds only himself and added that the two leaders will not be meeting any more. In statements during one of his meetings the day before yesterday, Eroglu noted that only a technical committee which will eliminate the existing disparities could continue working.
Eroglu reiterated that the Turkish side thinks that continuation of open-ended negotiations in the current circumstances is the biggest obstacle for achieving a result and alleged, inter alia, the following:
“Therefore, we have to establish the methodology well. The colleagues might work on this issue. There is no issue such as meeting of the leaders, because Mr Christofias does not accept a multilateral conference and refers to continuation of open ended negotiations. This will continue for 40 more years. Therefore, there is something which I always say. In these conditions we must firstly see our future. No one could keep the Turkish Cypriots at the negotiating table for another 40 years…Since these negotiations were accepted to be ‘Cypriot-led’ upon the wish of Mr Christofias during Mr Christofias and Mr Talat meeting, then, both sides should jointly decide. If Christofias continues his stance in favor of open-ended negotiations, our stance will be that ‘this should have an end’. If they say ‘no’ and we say ‘yes’, it means that we have no chance to agree. For this reason, there could be a technical committee which will work for eliminating the disparities on this issue. Otherwise, there is no such issue as meeting of the leaders on the agenda”.
Meanwhile, in his message on the occasion of 1st of May, Eroglu referred to the Cyprus problem and argued that the Turkish Cypriots need social unity in this “critical and complex process”, because the Greek Cypriot side exhibits an allegedly negative stance “using the shield of recognition which it has unjustly acquired”. Alleging that their target in the negotiations is a solution in which the Turkish Cypriots will not be excluded from the partnership state, the pain of the past will not be experienced again, their sovereign rights will be guaranteed and Turkey’s effective and active guarantees will continue, Eroglu claimed that reaching a solution will not only be a surprise but almost impossible, because of the “dominant approach” of the Greek Cypriots.
