Cyprus-Forum.com

[insan]

Christofias meets Talat in a warmer climate



09/03/2005


Demetris Christofias, leader of the main coalition party, AKEL, took his first trip over the Green Line on Tuesday to meet the leader of the largest Cypriot party Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Turkish Republican Party (CTP), at the party's headquarters.

This was the first time the two men had met since the failed referendum to reunite Cyprus, which the CTP backed but AKEL, after some prevarication, rejected.

In February Talat's party won the elections to the Turkish Cypriot assembly and is expected to replace Rauf Denktash after April 21 presidency elections.

Christofias, who had carried an olive branch with him to hand to Talat, said after the meeting that it was time for reconciliation between the two parties.

"What we need to do now is to warm the cool climate," he said.

Christofias expressed his willingness to continue the meetings on both sides of the Green Line.

Talat also expressed his willingness for dialogue and discussions.

Christofias said that the two parties could play a "decisive role" in negotiations, adding "We shall work for a resumption of UN-sponsored talks as soon as possible."


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This is a good step. It is far better than Denktash- Tassos duo. Let's see what it will bring to us in the name of rapproachment, reconciliation and eventually the solution.

[Saint Jimmy]

Οh, not much... The way I see it, T-Pap holds the cards here, too...
If it looks like they might be getting somewhere, he'll just throw this 'people are undermining the president of the Republic' line and get the whole universe against them...

Let's hope I'm wrong.

[brother]

Jimmy you are right it will be what you said or the usual traitor to the state bit, so we might have to wait until tassos has his time and office and goes and then maybe we might get a more pro-solution person like talat in the south to make it really happen.

[MicAtCyp]

And what happened one day after at the meeting of the parties?

The meeting was not even rosy.There was a terrible fight and agitation . Anastasiades and Eleni Mavrou left the meeting in protest. Perdikis (the leader of the GC Greens left before them and annnounced he will consider if he would ever join again. Sertar Denktas said "this is the last chance he is giving the GCs " (?!)Talat tried to excuse the selling of the GC properties as been perfectly legal according to their constitution, a reporter told him pseudo, and the whole atmosphere was on fire....

PS. Only 2 newspapers say something today. Whereas the radio stations were on fire yesterday afternoon, suprisingly the 8 o clock news cushed everything down....Talat also said nothing after the meeting.

[brother]

Imagine our so called politicians can't even sit down and talk like civilised people before they storm out like little girls or split hairs and get the hump over one insignificant word.
Maybe we should employ some monkeys to discuss our problems we most probably get more joy out of them.

[cannedmoose]

Imagine our so called politicians can't even sit down and talk like civilised people before they storm out like little girls or split hairs and get the hump over one insignificant word.
Maybe we should employ some monkeys to discuss our problems we most probably get more joy out of them.

Like I've always said Brother, the Cyprus problem these days isn't so much a bicommunal dispute as a dispute amongst a small group of septuagenerian politicians. I personally find it rather pathetic and childish when politicians 'walk out' of meetings, it is after all their job to have heated discussions and work out compromises. Walking out achieves nothing apart from a guaranteed spot on the evening news... a cynical view perhaps, but probably a correct one.

[Agios Amvrosios]

Maybe we should employ some monkeys to discuss our problems we most probably get more joy out of them

LOL. I propose that the solution is found using a system like super bingo Where-every numbered ball represents a different solution. Both sides sign on to be bound by the decision of the girl in the sparkly evening dress. The decision of the judge is final.

[brother]

Ledra meetings have become a joke


THE REGULAR meetings of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot party representatives at the Ledra Palace may have been going on for years, but they appear to have outlived their usefulness.

When the meetings were first held several years ago, they provided a forum at which politicians who had no contact with each other could talk and get to know one other. Under those circumstances, the regular get-togethers at the Ledra Palace were very helpful.

Conditions have changed radically since then. Now, there is no need for such gatherings as there are no obstacles preventing politicians from meeting if they want to do so. Even the House President crossed the dividing line on Tuesday for a meeting with Mehmet Ali Talat, while the DISY leader had such a meeting several months ago. DISY and AKEL representatives have also had meetings with other Turkish Cypriot politicians, suggesting that parties can have contact whenever they want to.

Ledra Palace meetings now only serve as a forum for politicians who do not really want to have a constructive exchange of views with their counterparts from the other side, but go along for appearances’ sake because they do not want to be accused of being against dialogue.

This was illustrated on Wednesday when the scheduled meeting was used by some Greek Cypriot politicians to score political points by attacking Talat, who was also there.

Politicians had every right to ask Talat questions about the development of Greek Cypriot-owned properties in the north and why he was doing nothing to stop this. But for DIKO’s deputy leader Nicos Kleanthous to come out of the meeting and start accusing Talat because he did not give satisfactory answers was not necessary.

Kleanthous did not stop there. He said Talat’s comments at the meeting were proof that he was no different from Rauf Denktash as he was defending the pseudo-state. Did Kleanthous seriously expect Talat to share the Greek Cypriot view about the north’s status? Meanwhile, Green Party leader, George Perdikis walked out of the meeting and then issued a statement accusing Talat of being provocative.

If the Ledra Palace meetings have been reduced to an excuse for politicians like Perdikis and Kleanthous to advertise their hard-line patriotism then they have outlived their usefulness.

The truth is that these meetings are now for politicians who do not really want to engage in a constructive dialogue with politicians from the other side and are using them to deepen the divide.

The politicians who genuinely want to engage in an exchange of views with the other side do so at private meetings arranged, on their own initiative. As for the Ledra Palace meetings, they no longer serve any useful purpose as Wednesday gathering proved.

Cyprus mail 11 March 2005

[cannedmoose]

Ledra meetings have become a joke

Amen

[boulio]

so if g/c politicians question talat about the g/c properties in the north the cyprus mail labels them as hard-line nationalist?maybe he was provacative and maybe he didn't give answers and also it was said at this meeting that dektash jr. threatened the g/c side that this will be there last change at the negotiotions table,threats dont help the sitution either,but i dont see the cyprus mail writing that in there article.