The Turkish Cypriot side has rejected a proposal made by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades as regards the content of a joint communiqué that will pave the way for the resumption of UN-led negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
Turkish Cypriot negotiator Osman Ertug informed UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser Alexander Downer about the Turkish Cypriot side’s negative response to Anastasiades’ proposal during a meeting they had on Wednesday morning.
Later on Downer had a meeting with Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis whom he informed on the Turkish Cypriot side’s response. Downer also had early in the afternoon a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.
According to a CNA source, the Turkish Cypriot side made changes to the proposal, which cannot be accepted by the Greek Cypriot side.
The Turkish Cypriots side was absolutely intransigent and therefore we have reached a deadlock, the source noted.
Furthermore, it said that the Greek Cypriot side will re-evaluate the situation and decide on further actions once President Anastasiades returns back from his official visit to Egypt.
We are not stopping the whole effort and process, but the drafting of the text (of the joint communiqué) has reached a deadlock. The Greek Cypriot side considers that it cannot make any more concessions and that as long as the fundamental elements that must be included (in the joint communiqué) are not in the text, then there can be no meeting of the leaders and negotiations cannot begin as they will come to a deadlock.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of the island’s territory.