Greeks’ hopes for peace waning

Agence France-Presse

Now residents' faith in a successful outcome is waning. Over the past year, Greek Cyprus President Demetris Christofias has held more than 20 rounds of U.N.-sponsored talks with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Mehmet Ali Talat, but opinion polls suggest that Greeks are becoming less optimistic about whether the meetings will produce any resolution.

A survey published by the Phileleftheros newspaper last month found that 68 percent of respondents thought the talks were doomed to failure; only 38 percent held this position in a poll reported by the same newspaper just four months earlier.

And many of the Greek Cypriots who do venture north express scant enthusiasm about making concessions for peace after visiting areas that were closed to them for three decades. "I went there for the first time this morning; that's why my friend is so upset," said Gregori Chrysanthou, a Greek Cypriot in his 80s. "But my daughter wanted it. She came this morning and said: 'Let's go.' I didn't want to."

Ayşe Erdanin works in a jewelry shop said she has seen some extra business as a result of the opening of the Ledra Street pedestrian crossing but still doubted her Greek Cypriot customers' desire for reunification. "I am not very hopeful," she said. "They've been talking for more than 30 years."