Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Cyprus talks stumble over fate of Turkish troops

-

Hopes for a peace deal in Cyprus stalled on Friday over a decades-old dispute, with the rival sides at loggerheads over the future of Turkish troops on the divided island.

A week of UN-brokered talks in Geneva between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci sparked optimism that an agreement to reunify the island could be at hand.

But any settlement will require an agreement on Cyprus's future security, with consent needed from key players Greece, Turkey and former colonial power Britain -- who all joined the talks Thursday.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Factfile on Cyprus
Factfile on Cyprus
-, -, AFP Graphic

And a key sticking point remains the presence of some 30,000 Turkish troops in the north of the island.

Ankara and Akinci have insisted that some Turkish military presence is essential for Turkish Cypriots to feel safe in a prospective united country.

Anastasiades on Friday restated his position that a timeline must be agreed for those troops to eventually withdraw.

And Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said there can be no solution to the four-decade division of Cyprus while Turkish "occupation" troops remain.

"A just solution (to division) means, first of all, eliminating what caused it, namely the occupation and presence of occupation forces," Kotzias said, according to a ministry statement as he left Geneva.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks as Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L) and Gr...
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks as Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L) and Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades look on during a press conference following the UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks in Geneva on January 12, 2017
Laurent GILLIERON, POOL/AFP

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that a full withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Cyprus was "out of the question".

He said in televised remarks that Athens and Greek Cypriots still have "different expectations" from their Turkish and Turkish Cypriot counterparts on resolving the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus is often described as one of the most militarised places on earth with the presence of UN peacekeepers, Turkish troops, two sovereign British bases and a Greek army contingent.

- 'A grave mistake' -

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed a conspiracy to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed a conspiracy to "bring Turkey to its knees" for the drop in the lira's value
Kayhan Ozer, TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/AFP/File

Asked about Erdogan's remarks, UN envoy Espen Barth Eide insisted that efforts to end one of the world's longest running political crises would not be derailed over a temporary war of words.

Discussions on security had just begun and the issue is "highly emotional", he said.

A 1960 agreement gave Britain, Greece and Turkey the right to intervene to defend Cyprus's sovereign integrity, which Ankara used to justify its invasion.

Eide said that by joining the peace process, the camps had accepted that this so-called "guarantor power" system was destined to change.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades gives a press conference following UN-sponsored Cyprus pe...
Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades gives a press conference following UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks in Geneva on January 13, 2017
PHILIPPE DESMAZES, AFP

Britain and Greece have said they were happy to scrap the deal, but for Turkey it remains a priority.

Akinci struck a more moderate tone on the issue than Erdogan.

Letting the talks fail would be "a grave mistake", he said, calling the guarantor power deal "a system (that) belongs to 1960."

"Now we are in 2017," he added. "How do we adapt this system through a mutually accepted formula which will secure the security concerns of Turkish Cypriots but at the same time would not cause any threat for the other community?"

Technical experts from all sides were due to reconvene in Switzerland on January 18 to table concrete proposals for a new security pact.

The Cypriot government wants information about 1 619 people missing since Turkish soldiers invaded t...
The Cypriot government wants information about 1,619 people missing since Turkish soldiers invaded the island in 1974 in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking a union with Greece
, AFP/File

- 'Cannot create winners and losers' -

The UN process is aimed at forging a republic with two zones that would be a full European Union member.

Despite the roadblocks ahead, Anastasiades said the two sides were "on a path that creates hope" and that compromise was key.

"A solution cannot create winners and leave losers (in its wake). If we want it to be viable and durable, all must understand, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, that a fine balance must be struck," he told reporters in Geneva.

Earlier in the week, the rival sides tackled thorny domestic questions like the composition of a unified government and land swaps.

In an unprecedented moment, they exchanged maps late Wednesday detailing their visions of how internal boundaries should be redrawn.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have accepted to return some of the land they have controlled since the failed 1974 coup, although disputes remain over certain areas and a final version has not been agreed.

Hopes for a peace deal in Cyprus stalled on Friday over a decades-old dispute, with the rival sides at loggerheads over the future of Turkish troops on the divided island.

A week of UN-brokered talks in Geneva between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci sparked optimism that an agreement to reunify the island could be at hand.

But any settlement will require an agreement on Cyprus’s future security, with consent needed from key players Greece, Turkey and former colonial power Britain — who all joined the talks Thursday.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Factfile on Cyprus

Factfile on Cyprus
-, -, AFP Graphic

And a key sticking point remains the presence of some 30,000 Turkish troops in the north of the island.

Ankara and Akinci have insisted that some Turkish military presence is essential for Turkish Cypriots to feel safe in a prospective united country.

Anastasiades on Friday restated his position that a timeline must be agreed for those troops to eventually withdraw.

And Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said there can be no solution to the four-decade division of Cyprus while Turkish “occupation” troops remain.

“A just solution (to division) means, first of all, eliminating what caused it, namely the occupation and presence of occupation forces,” Kotzias said, according to a ministry statement as he left Geneva.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks as Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L) and Gr...

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks as Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L) and Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades look on during a press conference following the UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks in Geneva on January 12, 2017
Laurent GILLIERON, POOL/AFP

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that a full withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Cyprus was “out of the question”.

He said in televised remarks that Athens and Greek Cypriots still have “different expectations” from their Turkish and Turkish Cypriot counterparts on resolving the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus is often described as one of the most militarised places on earth with the presence of UN peacekeepers, Turkish troops, two sovereign British bases and a Greek army contingent.

– ‘A grave mistake’ –

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed a conspiracy to

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed a conspiracy to “bring Turkey to its knees” for the drop in the lira's value
Kayhan Ozer, TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/AFP/File

Asked about Erdogan’s remarks, UN envoy Espen Barth Eide insisted that efforts to end one of the world’s longest running political crises would not be derailed over a temporary war of words.

Discussions on security had just begun and the issue is “highly emotional”, he said.

A 1960 agreement gave Britain, Greece and Turkey the right to intervene to defend Cyprus’s sovereign integrity, which Ankara used to justify its invasion.

Eide said that by joining the peace process, the camps had accepted that this so-called “guarantor power” system was destined to change.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades gives a press conference following UN-sponsored Cyprus pe...

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades gives a press conference following UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks in Geneva on January 13, 2017
PHILIPPE DESMAZES, AFP

Britain and Greece have said they were happy to scrap the deal, but for Turkey it remains a priority.

Akinci struck a more moderate tone on the issue than Erdogan.

Letting the talks fail would be “a grave mistake”, he said, calling the guarantor power deal “a system (that) belongs to 1960.”

“Now we are in 2017,” he added. “How do we adapt this system through a mutually accepted formula which will secure the security concerns of Turkish Cypriots but at the same time would not cause any threat for the other community?”

Technical experts from all sides were due to reconvene in Switzerland on January 18 to table concrete proposals for a new security pact.

The Cypriot government wants information about 1 619 people missing since Turkish soldiers invaded t...

The Cypriot government wants information about 1,619 people missing since Turkish soldiers invaded the island in 1974 in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking a union with Greece
, AFP/File

– ‘Cannot create winners and losers’ –

The UN process is aimed at forging a republic with two zones that would be a full European Union member.

Despite the roadblocks ahead, Anastasiades said the two sides were “on a path that creates hope” and that compromise was key.

“A solution cannot create winners and leave losers (in its wake). If we want it to be viable and durable, all must understand, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, that a fine balance must be struck,” he told reporters in Geneva.

Earlier in the week, the rival sides tackled thorny domestic questions like the composition of a unified government and land swaps.

In an unprecedented moment, they exchanged maps late Wednesday detailing their visions of how internal boundaries should be redrawn.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have accepted to return some of the land they have controlled since the failed 1974 coup, although disputes remain over certain areas and a final version has not been agreed.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Life

Their stories are divided into before and after.

World

Child of the caliphate: A girl in the vast al-Hol Islamic State camp in northeastern Syria - Copyright AFP Delil SOULEIMANRouba EL HUSSEINIAli is...

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.