Post by Kanaris on Jan 5, 2008 1:33:05 GMT -5
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s president said yesterday he would urge United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to revive the stalled Cyprus peace process in talks next week.
Diplomatic efforts to end the decades-old partition of Cyprus have been largely on hold since Greek Cypriots rejected a UN blueprint in 2004 to reunite the Mediterranean island.
The division of Cyprus into an internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish-Cypriot enclave in the north threatens to block Turkey’s drive to join the European Union.
“I will ask the UN to be more active, to start new efforts for a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem,” President Abdullah Gul told a joint news conference with Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
Gul, who will hold talks with US President George W. Bush next week in Washington before meeting Ban in New York, said 2008 offered a new opportunity for Cyprus because of a Greek-Cypriot presidential election set for February 17.
President Tassos Papadopoulos, who is seeking re-election, led his community into rejecting the 2004 UN peace plan one week before the island joined the EU as a divided country.
Papadopoulos has blocked EU efforts to ease trade restrictions against the Turkish Cypriots, fearing this could lead to de facto diplomatic recognition of their enclave.
The EU has frozen membership negotiations with Turkey in eight policy areas due to Ankara’s refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek-Cypriot traffic.
“Whoever wins the election, initiatives will be taken (to revive peace talks). These initiatives will determine the fate of the Cyprus issue,” Talat told the news conference.
Last year, aware of his predecessor Kofi Annan’s failure to break the Cyprus deadlock, Ban sounded a cautious note about restarting peace talks, saying both sides needed first to show a firm commitment to a solution.
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So tiny Cyprus has you guys by the gonads.... and now Gul finds himself begging for mercy.... Isn't international politics a b!tch?
I think the Turkish government should forget for the moment it's European aspirations.... it's a costly ride..... don't blame the Greeks..blame Europe for letting Cyprus in before you started your negotiations.
link
Diplomatic efforts to end the decades-old partition of Cyprus have been largely on hold since Greek Cypriots rejected a UN blueprint in 2004 to reunite the Mediterranean island.
The division of Cyprus into an internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish-Cypriot enclave in the north threatens to block Turkey’s drive to join the European Union.
“I will ask the UN to be more active, to start new efforts for a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem,” President Abdullah Gul told a joint news conference with Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
Gul, who will hold talks with US President George W. Bush next week in Washington before meeting Ban in New York, said 2008 offered a new opportunity for Cyprus because of a Greek-Cypriot presidential election set for February 17.
President Tassos Papadopoulos, who is seeking re-election, led his community into rejecting the 2004 UN peace plan one week before the island joined the EU as a divided country.
Papadopoulos has blocked EU efforts to ease trade restrictions against the Turkish Cypriots, fearing this could lead to de facto diplomatic recognition of their enclave.
The EU has frozen membership negotiations with Turkey in eight policy areas due to Ankara’s refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek-Cypriot traffic.
“Whoever wins the election, initiatives will be taken (to revive peace talks). These initiatives will determine the fate of the Cyprus issue,” Talat told the news conference.
Last year, aware of his predecessor Kofi Annan’s failure to break the Cyprus deadlock, Ban sounded a cautious note about restarting peace talks, saying both sides needed first to show a firm commitment to a solution.
____________________________________________________________
So tiny Cyprus has you guys by the gonads.... and now Gul finds himself begging for mercy.... Isn't international politics a b!tch?
I think the Turkish government should forget for the moment it's European aspirations.... it's a costly ride..... don't blame the Greeks..blame Europe for letting Cyprus in before you started your negotiations.
link