CYPRIOT LEADERS PESSIMISTIC

Gibrahayer
Dec 8, 2008
Nicosia

Monday 8 December – Omphalos Tis Gis newsletter – The direct talks
between the two communities are not going as well as expected,
President Christofias said on Friday night.

Addressing a bi-communal event, Christofias said Turkish Cypriot leader
Mehmet Ali Talat’s position for the existence of two nations in Cyprus
does not only contradict historical reality, but also the treaties
that founded the Cyprus Republic as a unified bi-communal state.

Christofias also hinted that Talat was starting to remind him of former
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who was openly in favour of a
partition between the two communities.

"The common philosophy of AKEL and the Turkish Republican Party,
up until recently, was that in Cyprus there is one nation, which
consists of two communities: the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek
Cypriots," said Christofias. "Now, I am saddened to see that this
position, regarding the supposed existence of two nations in Cyprus,
was supported by Mr Denktash in his policy for the creation of to
separate states in Cyprus," he added.

Continuously highlighting the existence of two nations, said
Christofias, was doing little to assist efforts for a resolution to
the Cyprus problem. "Unfortunately, such positions sometimes appear
on the table of negotiations," h e explained.

He referred to the pessimism that can be deduced through polls between
the people of the two communities, assuring, however, that "efforts
will not be abandoned".

On his part, in a recent interview with the Turkish Cypriot news
agency, Talat was equally pessimistic. He added that it was nearly
impossible to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem before the end
of 2009.

"Maybe even 2009 will pass without a solution. The negotiating process
is moving at very slow rhythms".

"From the moment that the Greek Cypriot side did not accept the Annan
Plan as a basis for discussion, we have almost started from zero,"
he said. "The international forces must certainly take action and look
at the issues, which the two sides can’t find solutions to," he added.

He said Christofias entered the negotiations as a different person, "He
is not as I expected him to be," he said, adding that this was a huge
disappointment to him, especially when Christofias attacked Turkey.

Referring to his position that there are two nations in Cyprus,
Talat concluded, "Of course there are two nations, with different
languages, religions, joys and woes. When one is happy, the other
is sad. Only if there is an earthquake or airplane tragedy will they
have the same reaction."

20 He didn’t, however, exclude the possibility that the future could
see the creation of one nation with two different languages.
From: Baghdasarian