POLITICS-CYPRUS: UN’s Annan Oversees Progress in Talks

By Gustavo Capdevila Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Capdevila

GENEVA, Jan 31 2000 (IPS) - United Nations (UN) secretary-general Kofi Annan expressed his approval of the advances made during the first session of renewed negotiations on the issue of Cyprus, a Mediterranean island divided in two for 26 years.

“We are making progress,” stated Annan, though he recommended awaiting the final results of a negotiating process, which are likely to continue throughout the rest of the year.

The talks in Geneva involving Greek-Cypriot president Glafcos Clerides, and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, follow the “proximity talks” method in which there is no direct contact between the parties.

The UN secretary-general spoke Monday with Clerides, and then with Denktash, in two successive but separate meetings, which Annan defined as “very useful.”

“I think we can continue building on the foundations to work for a comprehensive settlement later this year,” he commented.

Cyprus, an island divided into two communities, one of Greek and one of Turkish origin, has recaptured international attention in recent years as a result of European Union (EU) expansion in the continent’s southeast.

Among the recent events in the new political climate surrounding the island is Greece’s decision to lift the veto it had long wielded over Turkey’s admission into the EU.

Relations between Athens and Ankara, traditionally prickly, improved considerably last year after the arrest of Kurdish separatist leader Abdullah Ocalan. He currently faces the death sentence in Turkey.

Ocalan, a fugitive from Turkish authorities at the time, was forced to abandon his temporary refuge in Greek territory and relocate to Kenya, where he was apprehended by Turkish agents.

Several press reports maintained that Ocalan’s capture was the result of joint efforts between Greek and Turkish intelligence services.

The improved relations were also evident in the exchange of visits by the Foreign ministers George Papandreu of Greece, and Ismail Cem of Turkey.

With this political thaw, it will be possible for Cyprus to join the EU, as the community’s decreed at its latest summit in Helsinki that it could accept the island into the European fold.

Cyprus, whose recent history includes a long period as a member of the British Commonwealth, was invaded in July 1974 by Turkish forces that took over a third of the territory in the island’s north.

Since then, the two States have co-existed, one of Greek origin that forms part of the international community, while the other, of Turkish origin, is only recognised by Ankara.

In a statement released Monday in Ankara, Turkey’s government demanded international recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a condition for resolving the dispute.

Turkey proposes creating a confederation of two equal States on the island, while Athens and Nicosia want a federal and sovereign State made up of two communities and two distinct zones.

The talks in Geneva, an extension of December’s negotiations in New York, revolve around four fundamental issues: security, division of institutional powers, property rights and financial compensation, and the territorial issue.

The UN secretariat’s special adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, had assured last week that the talks would be limited to these four points, but Annan acknowledged Monday that Dentas had put new issues on the negotiating table.

“We started with the core issues, and additional issues have been added by one of the parties, which is fine with us,” Annan said.

The UN secretary general leaves Geneva this week to begin a tour through Southeast Asia, to include a stop in East Timor, currently under the temporary administration of the world forum.

The Cyprus negotiations will continue, under the direction of De Soto, at least until February 10.