Cyprus: ‘Two monologues,’ no ‘dialogue’
UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations, the United States and Britain must use their influence to break the deadlock in talks between Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot leaders on reunification of the war-divided Mediterranean island, a senior Cypriot lawmaker said Monday. Parliament Speaker Dimitris Christofias blamed «the intransigent positions» of Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and the Turkish government for the deadlock. After talks Monday with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Christofias was heading to Washington to urge greater US involvement. He was expected to meet congressional leaders and National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice yesterday and today. Cyprus has been split since Turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. The breakaway state in the north is only recognized by Turkey, which maintains 35,000 troops there. Progress in the UN-brokered talks has been blocked primarily by Denktash’s insistence on recognition of his breakaway state. He sees this as a first step to reunification of the island as a two-state confederation. President Glafcos Clerides, the Greek-Cypriot leader, insists on a settlement based on Security Council resolutions that reject recognition of the breakaway state and call for reunification as a single state with two federal regions. Clerides and Denktash have been meeting under UN auspices three times a week since Jan. 16 in a major effort to end the 27-year division of the island. The Security Council in late February urged the leaders to approach the deliberations with a sense of urgency, saying it should be feasible to reach agreement by June. Pressure for a settlement has intensified because of the expected admission of Cyprus to the European Union next year. Turkey opposes Cypriot entry before a settlement between the island’s Greek majority and Turkish minority. It has threatened to annex the northern third of Cyprus if EU admission goes ahead. Christofias told reporters that an agreement by June was unlikely. «We are angry and we are sorry for this because really it is time to solve the problem and together with Turkish Cypriots enter the European Union,» he said. «We shall do our best in this direction.» But Christofias said «In fact, we face a deadlock. We’re not having dialogue,» he explained. «We’re having two monologues.» He said the talks need «more active involvement» by the Security Council, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United States, and Great Britain, which was the former colonial power in Cyprus and still maintains bases there. Britain must make clear it won’t accept the division of Cyprus, and the United States, which counts Turkey as «a very important ally,» should use its influence on the Turkish government to change its position, Christofias said.
