Cyprus talks resume under shadow of hardliners election victory

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

refid:11481789 ilişkili resim dosyası

The hardliners victory does not affect the immediate position of Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who will continue to lead the talks with his Greek Cypriot counterpart, Demetris Christofias.

Relaunched in September 2008 after a four-year hiatus, Talat and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Christofias have been involved in reunification talks aimed at reaching an agreement to end the island's decades-long division.

The talks mark the first major push for peace since the failure of a U.N. reunification plan in 2004, which was approved by Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots.

The defeat for Talat's party has however triggered concerns that he will no longer have the authority to make the necessary concessions for peace.

The two leaders met for a 26th time on Tuesday and the election result in the north was discussed between them in private.

"I talked with Mr. Talat and I don’t think anyone expects him to be happy about it," AFP reported Christofias as saying. "We spoke freely in private and our discussions will remain that way."

The right-wing National Unity Party, or UBP, led by former premier Dervis Eroglu, secured 26 of the 50 seats in the Turkish Cypriots parliament in Sunday's election.

Pundits said the defeat for Talat's backers, the Republican Turkish Party, or CTP, was the result of frustration among Turkish Cypriots with their continuing isolation and mounting pessimism about the peace talks.

Talat has been negotiating for a bi-zonal federation, but Eroglu's UBP has for years demanded a two-state solution -- something which is vehemently rejected by the Greek Cypriots.

On Monday evening, Eroglu restated his party's position. "There are two peoples, two states and two democracies on the Cyprusisland of . We support any settlement... within this framework," Eroglu said.

TURKEY WARNS AGAINST UPSETTING TALKS

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned the nationalist leader on Tuesday against any attempt to disrupt the talks.

"It would be very wrong for the new government to end the negotiations or to continue the negotiations on a basis different than the one that has been followed so far," Erdogan said.

"The process must continue exactly as before ... We will never support a move that would weaken the hand" of the Turkish Cypriot leader, he added.

U.N. chief of mission Taye-Brook Zerihoun played down the election result saying it "would not really" have any impact on the course of negotiations as Talat would continue to lead them, AFP also reported.

Nevertheless, Greek Cypriot politicians believe the talks, which resume on May 5, are now sailing in choppy waters.

Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said things would now become "more difficult".