Atalay: Turkish water can benefit all Cyprus

NICOSIA - Anatolia News Agency

Deputy PM Beşir Atalay says Greek Cyprus should pull itself together in peace talks.

Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay said yesterday that “Greek Cyprus should pull itself together” as energy and water that will come from Turkey will be important for the island.

Turkey is working on a project to transport water from southern Turkey to northern Cyprus with pipelines. “This water is sufficient to meet the whole island’s need,” said Atalay, implying that the Greek side will also benefit if they reach an agreement with Turkish Cyprus.

Atalay also stressed the importance of the tripartite meeting between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders along with the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Greentree, New York, between Jan. 22 and 24, saying that it will be “a turning point.” Atalay said it can be regarded as a success if the parties agree to hold another meeting together with the guarantors after the New York meeting.

Atalay also said if the peace talks fail in the New York meeting, then “Northern Cyprus will continue on its route” with an economy greater strengthened. Atalay also said the rotating EU presidency of Greek Cyprus, which it will hold as of June 2012, could be postponed until the peace talks were solved. 

Atalay said Ban was excited over the meetings but could not see that excitement or hope in both the Greek and Turkish sides of the island. “Maybe it is because of the previous peace talks that they were not hopeful about,” Atalay said, adding that Ankara and the Turkish Cyprus government want a just solution for the island.