Turkish Cypriot columnists assess the situation in the Cyprus talks

Turkish Cypriot columnists assess the situation in the Cyprus talks after the statements by President Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci
Under the title “And things broke down”, Turkish Cypriot columnist Mehmet Levent assess in daily Afrika newspaper (10.02.16) the situation in the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem after the recent statements made by President Anastasiades, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Akinci’s spokesman Baris Burcu. Levent reports, inter alia, the following:
“[…] After this point, in spite of all the artificial pumping [of hope], the reality that the solution is a much weaker possibility than it had been assumed has come to the surface with nothing remaining hidden. From now on, the merchants of hope will not find clients so easily for the hopes in which even they themselves do not believe! Because, like Akinci has said in the beginning of the process, these people cannot bear another disappointment.
The realities could be hidden until this point with the lie and spiel that important progress has been achieved in the negotiations. And this balloon, which would blow up sooner or later, blew up with the definite and clear statements by Anastasiades!
Anastasiades says that the Greek Cypriot side will not accept the rotating presidency. Let alone the other points of objection, even only this is enough to cause a breakdown at a point. The reply given by Akinci especially to this clearly reveals this reality. ‘If the Greek Cypriot people will not digest a Turkish Cypriot being at the head of the common federal state during just periods, this means that there will be no agreement’. [Translator’s note: This quotation was given in bold letters by the columnist]
That is, now you will ask: Have things broken down? In my view they have! From now on the negotiations will continue connected to a life support unit and when the last grain of sand falls down from that narrow hole, they will pull the plug and declare that they have lost the patient! […]”
Meanwhile, commenting on the same issue, Turkish Cypriot columnist Mert Ozdag writes, inter alia, the following in daily Yeni Duzen newspaper under the title “Agreement or separation?”:
“The real picture is coming to surface slowly – slowly in the negotiating process, which has for a long time been loaded with too many hopes with public relations games and caused very big expectations. I have written this before: We are actually at such a period that this is a turnout. Either the points of consensus would be really declared or the period of mutual blaming would start. The latter happened! With Anastasiades’ statements the realities have come to the surface. To start with, there is no agreement on many points. Or the leaders understand different things about the agreement. In the guarantees, for example. I am sorry, but one of the leaders is definitely lying. Because Akinci is saying ‘we have not discussed it, it will be taken up in a five-party conference’ and the Greek Cypriot leader says ‘we have surmounted the guarantees’. […] Which one is true? These examples could be multiplied. For example, […] the Greek Cypriot leader insistently says that the solution will be the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus. […] Akinci, however, notes that ‘the TRNC exists’ and in the solution it will become a ‘founding state’. […] There is absolutely no convergence on the issue of the rotating presidency. Anastasiades says that ‘this cannot happen’ and Akinci that ‘if this does not happen, there will be no solution’. […]
A concrete agreement exists only in the property and I think that this agreement will not be accepted by the majority of the Turkish Cypriots. The agreement that ‘the priority for filing an application during the first year will belong to the first property owner’, is not something that was received positively in the north. […]
When we look at the general picture, we see that Anastasiades has started using the process for securing a great success to DISY in the elections in May. Akinci is drawing the attention to this situation in his last statement Akinci is right in this comment. […]
Very well, what will happen now? As Akinci said, the Greek Cypriot leader is in an election mood. This is May for which Akinci says that is a ‘natural time table’! And Turkey’s stance says that ‘if this job ends until March, it is ok, if not, everyone will go his own way’. In your view what kind of a turnout we are at now? Is it an agreement or separation? It seems to me like it is the second one.
I hope I am wrong, but on the one hand the real face of the Greek Cypriot leader which came to surface because of the elections in the south and Turkey’s stance and Akinci’s statement that ‘the TRNC exists’ on the other’ are showing that we are closer to separation.
I said that I hope that I am wrong, but excuse me, expecting a result from the negotiations in such a climate is naivety”.