‘No talks for talks’ sake’,

THERE can be no “negotiations . . . just for the sake of negotiating”, said Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay, declaring that the coming period should instead be about making Turkish Cypriots “more visible” internationally. Dr Özersay said it was decision-time following last summer’s collapse of peace talks in Switzerland

“We, the Turkish Cypriot people, have . . . been a prisoner to this negotiating process over a period of nearly 50 years,” he said, adding that the Turkish side was no longer happy to continue with a process that had “turned into a vicious circle”.

“There is a need for the Greek Cypriot side to show that it is prepared to share governance and wealth with the Turkish Cypriots . . . if they [do not] . . . it is well known that a new negotiating process will not get us anywhere.”

Addressing what he said was “concern” if peace talks were not ongoing, he said such negotiations should be seen as the means rather than the end.

“In the event the sides are able to unite with a joint vision then negotiations can be put into effect and used as a vehicle,” he said.

“The non-start of negotiations . . . should not be a cause for concern. We already have aims and objectives . . . that we have, for years, delayed [implementing] — that is economic and social development.”

In another interview with Greek Cypriot newspaper Politis, Dr Özersay said it was time each side discussed “what a bizonal bicommunal federation means” to them, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side was “not willing to return to openended negotiations”.

Meanwhile there was dismissal of suggestions that TRNC President Mustafa Akıncı was “dragging his feet” over returning to the negotiating table.

Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades was said to have told UN Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar last week that he was ready to meet with Mr Akıncı “as long as Turkish provocations end” — a reference to tensions over the South’s hydrocarbons exploration — while Mr Akıncı said he was only prepared to meet his Greek Cypriot counterpart socially and not for talks. South Cyprus paper Alithia reported Mr Anastasiades as saying a meeting “[had] been refused . . . because of the foot-dragging and unwillingness . . . of Mr Akıncı”.

Reacting on Wednesday, presidential spokesman Barış Burcu said Mr Akıncı “has on many occasions made public statements of his willingess to have a face-to-face meeting with Mr Anastasiades to understand his intentions . . . and also told Mrs Spehar [that] . . . [so these] remarks . . . do not reflect the truth.”

TURKISH Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties meeting on Wednesday at the Ledra Palace Hotel, under the auspices of the Slovakian embassy — the first such encounter since tensions flared over hydrocarbons exploration — “failed to reach an agreement concerning the Exclusive Economic Zone rights of the ‘Republic of Cyprus’”, it was reported.

The parties were also said to have been unable to agree on “a common view” as to what caused deadlock and ultimate collapse at peace talks in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, last July.