UN urges Turkish, Greek Cypriot leaders to step up pace of talks

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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The council said it "looks forward to decisive progress in the negotiations in the near future."

"The Security Council strongly urges the leaders to increase the momentum in the negotiations to ensure the full exploitation of this opportunity to reach a comprehensive settlement based on a bi-communal federation with political equality ... ," the members said in a statement read at a formal meeting by the current council president, Mexico’s U.N. Ambassador Claude Heller.

Cyprus has been split since 1964 when Turkish Cypriots were forced to withdraw into enclaves.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Demetris Christofias have met 26 times since full-fledged power-sharing negotiations began in September, focusing on concerns involving the harmonization of Federal and Constituent State laws, delicate property issues and European Union membership.

It was 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 council, which welcomed "the progress made so far," issued the statement after a briefing by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, who echoed the call for momentum in the negotiations warning: "If it drags on too long, it will drag into failure."

He said it is important that all parties support the negotiations "because the alternative is a dark future for Cyprus."

"I'm cautiously optimistic that this process can succeed," said Downer, noting that Christofias and Talat, both moderate leftists, are long-time good friend and "there’s an expectation that they’ll be able to make it this time."

He stressed, however, that there cannot be a "winner-take-all" and that both sides must compromise.

Britain's U.N. Ambassador John Sawers said the council hopes the leaders "will seize the opportunity" to make progress with Downers assistance.

The council statement encouraged Downer to continue to support the leaders, noting that both sides must support a solution which will require approval of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in separate and simultaneous referenda.

"We see a real opportunity to bring peace and a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus which will hugely benefit both communities on the island," Sawers was quoted by AP as saying.

"I think over the months ahead we will want to see an accelerated process, and decisive progress, in the negotiations," he said. "Politics evolves and these opportunities don’t last forever. They need to be seized when they’re available, and they’re available now."

Turkeys U.N. Ambassador Baki Ilkan, a council member, said "this should not be an indefinite exercise until the right solution is found because we feel that the gap between the two people are widening as years pass."

"It’s up to the leaders to determine when to come to terms, but sooner rather than later," AP quoted him as saying.

Greek Cypriot Ambassador Minas Hadjimichael said "the key to the solution lies with Turkey" which must make clear what kind of solution it wants.