PRESIDENT TALAT: “2008 MIGHT BE A YEAR FOR SOLUTION”

President Mehmet Ali Talat stated that he expected serious initiatives towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem following the presidential elections in South Cyprus which will be carried out in February. He added that there were important indicators in this direction and said: “We want 2008 to be a year for solution”.

Pointing out that the Cyprus problem has been dragging on for too long and continued to emerge as a problem for the international community and the EU at every platform, President Talat said both diplomatic initiatives and contacts and EU and the world’s expectations as well as the UN Secretary General’s latest report indicated that the UN would soon start a new process for a solution.

Explaining that the 8 July agreement, which was an important opportunity created to take steps forward towards reaching a political settlement could not be implemented as a result of the Greek Cypriot side’s delaying tactics, Talat said that both the world and the European Union could no longer tolerate the Greek Cypriot side’s intransigent attitude.

“Turkish Cypriots are the victims in the Cyprus problem. Therefore, we have an obligation to work hard. We are preparing to welcome 2008 as a year of new opportunities to end the current deadlock on the island and to solve the Cyprus problem”, said President Talat.

Reminding that he proposed to start the negotiations after a preparation period of two and a half months during his meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos on 5 September, President Talat said since the UN and the EU’s attitude was in this direction and if an initiative started within this framework, the Greek Cypriots would not be able to resist.

Warning that an initiative to be launched in 2008 could be the last chance for a solution, the President said that failure to get a positive result out of the new process could prompt the United Nations to seek alternative solutions in Cyprus. “I don’t know what these alternatives could be, but the division and relations between the two sides are deepening day by day” he added.

Talat stressed that the Greek Cypriot side’s attitude which ignored the Turkish Cypriot administration’s existence, its aim to expand its hegemony over North Cyprus, its rejection to establish cooperation on any subject, its policy to make the Turkish Cypriot economy to come to a halt, its policy of forbidding its people to shop in the North and its similar policies were amongst important reasons for the deepening of division in Cyprus.

Responding to a question asked whether it was important who will win the presidential elections in South Cyprus in terms of determining the faith of the Cyprus problem, Talat said the outcome of the February elections in South Cyprus could have a positive effect on the Cyprus negotiations process if not create the basis to launch a new initiative on the Cyprus problem.