Changing Trains

"The Advertising Campaign: An Uphill Battle for the ‘Yes’ Camp"

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WITH just six days to go until the historical referenda that will change the island forever, campaigning for both the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes is expected to go into overdrive in the final stretch.

But members of the ‘yes’ campaign are facing a formidable task, as it appears nigh on impossible to reverse the negative climate that has been systematically cultivated for months.

On top of that, they seem hard pressed to match the means and funding of the ‘no’ campaign, which has been taken on by Marketway, the advertising agency belonging to the wife of Trade and Industry Minister George Lillikas.

Lillikas is an ardent ‘no’ supporter, despite coming from AKEL, which has openly disagreed with President Tassos Papadopoulos’ assessment of the United Nations plan.
On Friday, DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades said it was a wonder how the ‘no’ campaign found thousands of pounds to spend. He said he did not want to add anything further in an effort not to worsen the climate.
“But I am worried when so many funds are spent just in case there is a chance of a solution being found,” Anastassiades said.

The Cyprus Mail has learned that the ‘no’ campaign is being bankrolled by a non-partisan alliance made up of various groups, organisations and personalities who oppose the UN plan.

One such organisation is the Citizens’ Movement, whose billboards, advertisements and fliers have become a dominant phenomenon on the landscape in recent days.

The movement has already published full-page ads in three national daily papers and billboards with a huge ‘no’ on a black background can now be seen all over the island.
It is not known if the movement belongs to the alliance handled by Marketway, but its chairman Andys Christoforides has denied having any connections to the Presidential Palace.

In an interview with daily Politis on Friday, Christoforides said the movement had 200 members, which did not belong to any political parties.

Their funds come exclusively from their members and there are no links with any fat cats related in any way with President Tassos Papadopoulos, Christoforides insisted.

He said that in its full-page ads, the movement aimed at analysing the UN plan in a simple way for citizens to understand.

Two legal experts were used on a voluntary basis, Christoforides said.
Both are opponents of the UN plan. On the other side, three weeks ago a group of people from various walks of life formed a platform called Yes to the Solution, with the aim of stopping the misinformation, the campaign of fear and the outburst of nationalism evident on the island in recent days.

They say the fear factor is real, with supporters of the ‘yes’ vote frequently heckled, which explains the lack of ‘yes’ stickers on car windshields. A spokesman for the platform told the Cyprus Mail that two billboards they had put up in Nicosia had been vandalised.

One was destroyed, while the attempt to torch the second one had failed. The group have no big bank rollers and are counting on donations to collect the necessary funds to issue booklets explaining the UN plan and organise seminars to inform citizens about the plan’s provisions.

They have gathered over 300 signatures from various Greek personalities supporting the ‘yes’ vote and will try to do the same in Cyprus, despite the tight timeframe. “We’re just around 100 people who have dropped their jobs and working for this,” the spokesman said.

To get an indication of the costs involved, the platform has spent around £11,000 on printing 20,000 leaflets, 30,000 stickers, 54 banners and billboards and renting billboard space, and yet only a few people know of their existence.

‘No’ Would Mean ‘No’ - De Soto

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THE U.N.’s Cyprus envoy Alvaro de Soto said yesterday that a rejection of the Annan plan in a referendum raised the question of whether there could ever be a settlement on the island because people’s demands could never be fully met.

Addressing a joint meeting of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee and the Delegation of the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Committee with the Republic of Cyprus, in Brussels De Soto also said that there was little hope that the leaders in Cyprus could ever reach agreement amongst themselves even if they were given an eternity to do so.

He also said that one of the reasons that there has never been an agreement is that people in Cyprus have not yet understood that there is no deal that can satisfy their aspirations fully.

“The plan for the first time confronts the people with a realistic basis for a settlement, which brings benefits to both sides... but on a compromise basis. Even today the people on both sides are ill-prepared to understand and accept these basic facts. People are disoriented. Change is always disquieting, particularly if the status quo is more or less comfortable,” De Soto said.

''Rejecting a settlement involving compromise is, in a sense, a low-risk route but rejecting the plan that is now before the people, which is undeniably a substantial improvement…raises the question whether there can ever be a settlement.”

He also said that based on recent experience, “there is little hope that the leaders would be able to come to terms even if they had an infinite amount of time at their disposal.”

De Soto was referring to the recent close of negotiations in Burgenstock Switzerland where UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan filled in the blanks on his peace plan and handed it over to the two sides, which had failed to reach a deal on their own, although De Soto said the final plan did bear “the unmistakable imprint of the Cypriot DNA”.

Commenting on why no Cyprus solution has been reached after 30 years, De Soto said that part of the problem was that “it has not been explained to the people, clearly and convincingly, that a settlement cannot satisfy their aspirations fully.”

''Expectations and illusions remain as if preserved in amber, largely untrammelled by information of reality. It is only now, when the people actually have to take a decision, that the reality is sinking in.”

De Soto said that on the Greek Cypriot side, people were now having to accept that a settlement would not magically bring about a return to the situation that existed before 1974, with all Turkish settlers and soldiers gone, everyone recovering their houses and the re-establishment of majority rule.

The Turkish Cypriots, he said, were having to accept that a settlement meant that all but the Treaty-allowed Turkish troops must leave in due course and that the state they created in 1983 will not be recognised by the wider international community as a separate entity. Many Turkish Cypriots would also have to relocate and territory must be given back, he said.

De Soto also referred to ''massive distortion and misrepresentation of the plan'' ahead of the separate referenda on April 24. ''It is no secret that, as we speak, a debate is raging on the island regarding whether the plan should be accepted or rejected in the referenda,” he said. ''The opposition to the settlement plan of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, has been known for some time. It has continued unabated despite the improvements for the Turkish Cypriot side contained in the 31 March final revision,'' he said.

''The strong opposition of the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, voiced in an address to the people on the night of April 7, in which he called on the people to respond with a resounding 'no', was a more surprising development and a source of disappointment for the Secretary General,” De Soto added.

He said that Papadopoulos was aware that UN did not agree with his analysis of the plan. Papadopoulos made a televised emotionally-charged speech to Greek Cypriots last week calling on them to issue a resounding ‘no’ to the plan.

“They (people) are finding it difficult to grapple with a decision which is likely to have a transcendental effect on their lives; a decision that touches on their very sense of identity, and they are receiving precious little impartial guidance in taking that decision,” de Soto said.

“To the contrary. Massive distortion and misrepresentation of the plan is occurring and people have little recourse but to actually read a long and complex text. They are being misled into thinking that if this plan isn’t accepted another will come along after it. People do not understand that rejection of this plan is tantamount to indefinite continuation of the status quo.”

Commenting on a proposal by AKEL to postpone the referendum for a few months De Soto said the Turkish side was not in favour of such a move, although Annan said on Tuesday if both sides agreed, it could be considered.

Athens said yesterday it would not object if all other parties involved were to give their consent, the Greek Foreign Ministry said.

But Turkish Cypriot “Prime Minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat said in Brussels yesterday that if the referenda were postponed, the island’s EU accession on May, 1 should also be postponed.

UN Says Could Delay Cyprus Referenda

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UNITED NATIONS/NICOSIA (Reuters) - U.N. chief Kofi Annan has backed away from his insistence on holding Cyprus reunification votes on April 24, raising the prospect of referendums after Greek Cypriots join the European Union in May.

Facing an overwhelming 'no' vote by the bigger and richer Greek Cypriot side, Annan on Tuesday said that if all parties involved agreed to postpone the referendums -- due a week before the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government joins the EU -- "that is something we will have to reflect on".

Turkish Cypriot parties, worried that a delay would exclude them from EU membership when Cyprus joins the bloc on May 1, want a 'yes' vote and are opposed to postponing the referendums.

AKEL, the largest Greek Cypriot party, is more positive about reunification than its partner in the ruling coalition, but wants to put off voting to give more time for what it calls objective assessment of the proposals. "There has been a suggestion by one of the parties that the referendum be postponed to give them more time to campaign, but this has not been taken up by the other parties who were in the agreement," U.N. Secretary-General Annan told reporters. "If the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, with the support of the governments of Turkey and Greece, were to ask for a postponement, that is something we will have to reflect on, but there has been no such request," Annan said...

Christofias Insists He’s Not Against the Plan

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AKEL leader Demetris Christofias yesterday insisted his party was not against the Annan plan but wanted the referendum to be postponed to give the party time to explain its positive aspects to the people. On Saturday, while everyone was expecting AKEL to swing behind the ‘yes’ vote in the referendum, the party instead issued a written request to the UN to postpone the poll, saying otherwise it would urge a ‘no’.

Speaking yesterday after a meeting with Turkish Cypriot Republican Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat, Christofias urged all sides to agree to the postponement so that both communities could come down in favour of the plan. But Talat insisted it was important of the referenda to be held on time so that a reunited Cyprus joined the European Union. “In case of postponement, serious problems would be created in relation with the timetable set by the UN,” Talat said.

Christofias said there was a ‘no’ frenzy among Greek Cypriots, whose majority was not ready to take a decision and did not want to hear a different view. The AKEL leader put this down to the insecurity the Greek Cypriots felt concerning the implementation of the solution. “The plan has positive but also negative aspects; I am sorry to observe that those who want to say a flat ‘no’ only stress the negative aspects,” Christofias said.

He said the people, considering the presence of thousands of Turkish troops and the bitter experiences of 30 years, wanted to be sure of the assurances from Turkey and the international community that the solution would be implemented. Christofias added that, although it was inclined to a ‘yes’, the party’s central committee had concluded that it would be better to postpone the referenda to give time to explain the positive aspects of the plan to the people and work towards securing assurances regarding the implementation of the solution. “We’re not asking from one community to say ‘yes’ and the other ‘no’; we’re asking from both communities to say ‘yes’ to have a solution,” Christofias said.

Talat said Turkish Cypriot feelings on the issue were an indication of the isolation they were for many years.
He conceded that certain aspects that could have made the plan more viable had not been included, adding however that both communities could easily say ‘yes’ to the current plan. “The solution should be a compromise and everyone should contribute to the compromise,” Talat said.

The Turkish Cypriot politician later met with DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades. The two men agreed that good will played a big role in any agreement and not only the conditions and provisions of a plan. Anastassiades said the two parties had decided to work together in order to overcome the concerns and restore trust, to give the two communities the potential to co-operate inside the EU. “We will be living with Europeans, either Muslim or Christian or people from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. “It is unthinkable to imagine that compatriots from the same country could not cohabit and have mutual understanding between them,” Anastassiades said. Talat said he understood Greek Cypriot concerns: “We want to assure that there would not be any problem from the Turkish side in implementing the agreement.
“We demand the same thing from the Greek Cypriot side.”

Talat said the Turkish Cypriots had in the past few years taken to the streets and proved that they did not desire segregation. He declined to comment on whether the Turkish side would embark on a campaign for the recognition of the breakaway state in case the Greek Cypriots said ‘no’; Talat repeated his desire for both referenda to be ‘yes’. He added: “(However) after all this struggle, he who demands for the Turkish Cypriot people to remain isolated from now on will not be right.” Anastassiades expressed the wish that on April 24, Greek and Turkish Cypriots may feel that that the country’s borders stretch from Paphos to Apostolos Andreas, from Kyrenia to Limassol.

'Little Enthusiasm for AKEL Plea'

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AKEL’s proposal to postpone the dual referenda on the island has received an unenthusiastic welcome from the international community, with just a few days to go in the countdown to April 24. All the major players involved in the Cyprus issue either subtly rejected or refused to comment on AKEL’s suggestion that the referenda should be delayed by “a few months”.

The rationale behind the proposal, made last week by AKEL boss Demetris Christofias, was that currently Greek Cypriots had a heavy negative bias toward the Annan plan, so people needed more time to be “objectively” informed on the blueprint’s contents.

Yesterday, the European Commission withheld comment, saying that the holding and the timing of the referenda were up to the United Nations. Jean-Christophe Filori, spokesman for the EU Enlargement Commission, told reporters the commission’s position was that the UN was in charge of the whole process.
“As far as I know, the UN is sticking with the April 24 date,” Filori said. And the European Commission delegation in Cyprus simply referred to Filori’s statement.

On Monday, UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe confirmed the organisation had received AKEL’s proposal, but again steered clear of saying whether the Secretary-general would consider modifying the deadlines. “We are monitoring this development, as well as other developments,” noted Okabe. She added that both communities on the island had agreed the referenda timetable during talks on February 13. Asked whether this meant the Secretary-general would go ahead with the referenda no matter what, Okabe’s answer was: “That’s all I have to say for now.”

Political commentators in Cyprus suggested that the lukewarm response to AKEL’s proposal was to be expected; both the UN and the EU have invested a great deal of time and effort into working out a settlement for Cyprus, and would therefore not like to see the issue drag on. And there was a similar reaction from the US government; State Department spokesman Richard Boucher reiterated that Annan V was the only plan on offer right now. “There is no plan B. There is no alternative diplomatic course. There’s no promise that if this gets voted down, we’ll go back the next day and try again,” Boucher said in Washington.

The State Department spokesman denied this sounded like a “threat”, saying the United States’ approach was pragmatic. “I think everybody’s estimate is that there’s not a lot of prospects for reaching any other deal, other than this deal,” Boucher noted.

Local press reports yesterday speculated the United States was working to “lock” the Annan plan into the Cyprus peace process, by pushing for its adoption by a Security Council resolution. Papers quoted sources from New York as saying it was possible the Security Council would reconvene to discuss the Cyprus issue before the April 24 referenda. The plan specifically provides for its adoption by the UN Security Council.

And Cyprus’s closest ally Greece politely snubbed the delay proposal; speaking on a TV news show yesterday, Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis said AKEL’s proposal “sounds logical… but I’m not so sure it is feasible.” It would take the consensus of all the involved parties --Turkey, Greece, and both communities on the island -- for the referenda to be deferred, Valinakis argued. The Greek government has yet to announce its official stance on the UN plan, saying it will wait for the final decisions of the two major parties in Cyprus, DISY and AKEL.

Perhaps the strongest sign that the April 24 date is inexorable came yesterday in Nicosia, when Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat rejected AKEL’s proposal after a meeting with Christofias.

'We Have To Reach Compromise To Live On This Island' - Talat

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LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Tuesday that Turkish and Greek Cypriots should reach a compromise to live together on Cyprus and he believed Annan's plan would provide such a compromise.

After their meeting in southern Cyprus, Talat and communist AKEL party's secretary general and Greek parliament speaker Dimitris Hristofyas held a joint news conference. Talat said that holding referendum on schedule, resolution of the Cyprus issue and accession of whole Cyprus to the European Union (EU) on May 1 were very important to them and they had expressed these opinions at the meeting. ''We put forward our belief that postponement of referendum would have serious consequences for both the Turkish Cypriot side and it would create a deviation from the time table set by the United Nations,'' he said. ''Any side should not perceive Annan's plan as a victory. Annan's plan is just a document of compromise. Signals which are observed in the Turkish Cypriot side and mostly display positive feelings of Turkish Cypriot people should be perceived as the desire of a community that has lived under isolation and in an atmosphere of insolubility for long years,'' Talat said.

Stressing that there were many factors which they wanted but could not obtain, Talat said, ''similarly, we could not have many factors included in this plan to reach a livable agreement and solution.'' Noting that an ''acceptable'' plan had been put forward despite everything, Talat said, ''according to me, this 'acceptance' with contentment is not only for Turkish Cypriots but also for Greek Cypriots. We have never had the opinion of removing rights of Greek Cypriots and not recognizing them. Because we know that we have to reach a compromise to live on this island. We have acted upon the understanding that rights of a side should not be taken...If we mutually display good will and respect each other's rights, desires and feelings, there is no reason that prevents us from living together on this island and I believe that the result and this plan we reached is a plan that can provide it,'' Talat said. TRNC Prime Minister Talat added that their meetings would continue and they would hold another meeting soon to continue their evaluation.

Talat said on Tuesday that they understood the concerns of Greek Cypriots in the implementation of Annan Plan and they wanted to assure that there would not be a problem in the implementation of the plan in the aspect of Turkish side. Talat and Greek Cypriot main opposition party DISI leader Nicos Anastasiades held a joint press conference after their meeting. Noting that they mainly provided a consensus with Anastasiades, Talat said, ''we understand concerns of Greek Cypriot people. We want to assure that there will not be any problem in the aspect of Turkish side during the implementation of the plan. Of course we demand the same assurance from Greek side.''

Talat said that they wanted ''yes'' from both sides during referendum and added that Turkish and Greek Cypriots could live together and Annan Plan was not a victory for any side and they wanted solution. Anastasiades said that their efforts for solution would continue and added they would exert efforts for the accession of a united Cyprus to the European Union (EU).

Talat said that it was impossible for Turkish Cypriot side to accept the postponement of referendum. Noting that the situation after May 1 was not certain, Talat said that Turkish Cypriot side had a big reaction to Greek Cypriot side's demand for delaying the referendum. Talat said after his meeting with Greek Cypriot main opposition party DISI leader Nicos Anastasiades that Greek Cypriot parties should evaluate the future well and added that Turkish side was loyal to its responsibilities on Annan Plan.

Talat said that he believed that the results of referendum in Greek Cypriot side would be ''yes'' if the parties in Greek Cypriot side would convince people. Noting that they considered the solution as inevitable, Talat said that the side which delayed the solution would be imposed more difficult conditions in the future.

Talat said that he was optimistic and believed that Greek side would also be positive and added that the chance to make Cyprus a common country was continuing. Noting that there would not be any problem which could not be solved when there was good will, Talat said, ''unfortunately, Annan Plan has not been negotiated since the beginning. A face to face give and take process could not start.'' He added that if they could fulfill this, a better plan would emerge.

Talat said that the attitude of the United Nations about the postponement of referendum was not clear. Anastasiades said that they had a very beneficial meeting and shared concerns, adding that the re-unification of the country was their common wish.

'Why is Papadopoulos Crying and AKEL Trying to Wriggle Away?' - Selcuk Gultasli

An op-ed piece originally published here:

You can view the Cyprus solution scenarios in two ways. From a maximalist point of view, you can demand the whole island, referring to the situation before 1878, when Cyprus was ruled by the Ottomans for 300 years, and call the Luzern [Treaty] version of the Annan Plan a crushing defeat. In this point of view, there are three options:

1.Turkey can conquer the entire island by launching an operation like that of 1974 -- as some politicians then demanded.

2.Turkey can annex the northern side of the island.

3.Turkey can strive to assure world recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC].

Although the first two alternatives have been suggested from time to time, they have never been considered as serious policies, and Turkey has been insistent on the last alternative. You do not negotiate on the 'maximum' approach but dictate. Then your power does not give others the opportunity to negotiate. That was what happened 400 years ago when Cyprus was conquered. Now, one point also being missed is that Turkey's position no longer allows dictation but requires negotiation. When you start to negotiate, you try to reach the optimal, which is the best option under the present circumstances.

I suppose that the majority of Turkish citizens want Cyprus to remain under our administration like it was during the Ottoman period, as if we never gave up our right to sovereignty in Lausanne, or as if the TRNC is recognized not only by Turkey but by the entire world. However, these options are not realistic, and the only country that recognized the TRNC after us, Bangladesh, withdrew its recognition just a few days later due to American pressure. The Annan Plan, achieved through a careful balancing of these variables, is optimal for Ankara. That is why [Greek Cypriot leader Tassos] Papadopoulos tearfully declared in his carefully dramatized speech that he will not succumb to having the state he controls becoming a 'section.' After his anger at the Zurich and London talks on April 1, 1962, the anniversary of the foundation of the Cyprus Hellenic Liberation Organization (EOKA), and saying, 'We will make weapons out of the chains we have broken and build a bridge over the gulf that separates Cyprus from Greece with these weapons,' Papadopoulos now insists that the referendum should be put off until after May. He knows quite well that pressures will ease after Cyprus joins the European Union (EU) on May 1 and it will be possible then to negotiate a new plan.

The EU's optimism that the plan will be approved, the communist AKEL Party's unexpected demand to delay the referendum and the threat to completely reject the plan otherwise, are answers to those in Turkey who are acting as if the plan is in the same category as the Treaty of Sevres. We see the Greek side unified internally, nationalists and communists cooperating to delay the issue until after May 1, and only to reopen the negotiations then.

The TRNC side should accept the plan on the April 24 referendum, and Turkey should stress that the Annan Plan will not be renegotiated if the Greek side rejects it. Just as it happened in Ireland's referendum on the Treaty of Nice, it should be the EU's responsibility to keep repeating the referendum until the Greek Cypriots accept it. Brussels, which reduced the possibility of the Greek side accepting the plan, by illegally initiating membership talks, should be responsible for persuading the Greek Cypriots.

Erdogan: Turkish Soldiers Will Not Leave Cyprus

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ABOARD IZMIR PLANE - Turkish soldiers would not leave Cyprus if one of the sides did not approve it, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early on Sunday aboard the plane en route from Turkey to Japan.

Replying to questions how he evaluated criticisms that United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus had not been well-explained to people, Erdogan said that he had announced steps taken by his government in not only meetings of his party but also at the parliament.

Erdogan said, ''despite the statements we have made, the opposition dwells upon only one issue and it is consistence of the plan of 9 thousand pages. They don't have any other source for reaction. They don't think how these 9 thousand pages were written and evaluated and how these steps are being taken. Majority of deputies have not read the text so far. Although they say they are reading it, 90 percent of them aren't reading it. The plan has been studied and summarized. Our framework and principles are certain. We are saying within the framework of these principles that a United Cyprus Republic will be formed in the island by two constituent states.''

''Although there has been a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is not recognized by any country except Turkey, in the island so far, there will be two constituent states after an agreement is reached. One of these constituent states will be the Greek Cypriot Constituent State and the other will be the Turkish Cypriot Constituent State. These Turkish and Greek Cypriot people will establish United Cyprus Republic, a federal state,'' Erdogan said.

Erdogan added, ''(Greek Cypriot leader Tassos) Papadopoulos says in a crying manner that he won't give my state to anybody. We should not consider the issue this way. He will share his state with us. Moreover, there are more interesting expressions. There is an expression saying ''neither the north can dominate over the south nor the south can dominate over the north.'' Here, the north of the island will gain independence. We have always said that we don't think we have gained 100 percent success here.''

The government had brought the ideal position for TRNC, Erdogan stated.

Erdogan said, ''we have brought the ideal position for TRNC with 'win-win' understanding. What has the south of the island gained? The south mainly gained territory. What else has happened? There will be Greek Cypriots who will move from the south to the north of the island. You are making an agreement here. When making such an agreement, you can't unilaterally tell the other side 'to get whatever it wants.' In such a case, you should discuss Lausanne Treaty. Under the Lausanne Treaty, parties gained and gave something. Were those who gave the islands under Lausanne Treaty betraying their country? It is very ugly to bring these issues onto agenda. We, as the government of Turkish Republic, consider Cyprus a national cause. But, when we consider it a national cause, we want our kinsmen in TRNC to become a state.''

''We consider the issue a national cause. In which international meeting Turkish language was used as an international language? But, after TRNC accepts the plan, Turkish will start to be used as international language in all meetings. Turkish language should start to be used in institutions and organizations which don't have any technical problems as of May 1 and we have ensured it to be used in other grounds within five years. Steps will be taken for use of Turkish language in other places in the possible shortest time. We will send around 200 staff to international organizations. They will make simultaneous translation. All these are successes gained by this agreement. I think it is not right to ignore them. We have also stated the negative aspects of the plan,'' Erdogan said.

Erdogan went on saying, ''some say that this number of Greek Cypriots will move to the north of the island. This rate was certain and it was 21 percent. We reduced it to 18 percent. And, they will move to the north in a certain period of time. How many Greek Cypriots will move to the north and how many won't is another issue.''

''Some say that it is a step to send Turks away from the island. There is not such thing. There are certain number of Turkish citizens living in TRNC. Let's consider the number as around 30 thousand. We have achieved to increase this number to 45 thousand in negotiations. Why don't we discuss these positive aspects? They say that Turkish soldiers will leave the island. Why don't you talk about the situation of Greek soldiers. There will be 650 Turkish soldiers in the island by 2018. And, the number of the Greek Cypriots will also be equal to that of Turkish soldiers by this day. The presence of soldiers will be discussed every three years. But, sides should have a mutual compromise on this issue. This means that our soldiers won't leave the island if one of the sides doesn't approve it,'' Erdogan noted.

Erdogan stated that nothing would change if there was another government in Turkey or if the government changed.

Asked if his words could be a message to TRNC President Rauf Denktas, Erdogan said, ''I responded to articles and news in the newspapers since I don't want my people to be deceived. Unfortunately, some propaganda on Cyprus is being made in Turkey. I wonder why propaganda is made in Turkey. It should be made in Cyprus. That is, demonstrations should be made in Cyprus instead of Turkey. Everything should be discussed in Cyprus not in Turkey.''

Erdogan said that Turkish government was sensitive about interests of Turkish Republic and TRNC.

Noting that insolubility was not a solution, Erdogan stated that politics was not the art of causing problems but an art of finding solutions.

Stating that those who could not solve the Cyprus issue for 30-40 years, Erdogan said that they should take their steps, considering the issue well.

Replying to a question, Erdogan said, ''I should have asked (TRNC President) Denktas if he would come to Turkey. But, I forgot asking him. He should do whatever necessary for Cyprus issue in the island. He should explain everything related with Cyprus issue in the s-island. But, I regret that TRNC President comes to Turkey and holds meetings with marginal groups. And, I told it to him. He came to Turkey to attend a meeting held by Ankara Chamber of Commerce. Majority of those who joined this meeting were those who called Turkish Armed Forces as ''occupier forces.'' I told him that I felt sorry seeing him in the same photograph with that group.''

'Greek Cypriot Intransigence Threatens a Crisis for Europe'

Peter Preston in the UK's Guardian, available here:

What's the point of standing tall at the heart of Europe when the wretched peripheries are in such bent-backed disarray? There's a crisis building we've barely registered yet: what Tony Blair would doubtless call "a historic struggle for freedom and tolerance". Not George Bush's crisis, but one rather closer to home: a crisis of inertia and hypocrisy and feebleness.
Start small. In 12 days' time, after its UN-supervised referendum, Cyprus will either be whole again - or not. Two months ago, you could have hoped for success at last, after 30 years of trying. Now the odds are uncertain, going on bleak.

Two old stagers, in power when the island split long ago, had their chance of remaking it as new federation inside the EU. They blew it. President Rauf Denktash from the north took his half ball home, sulked and refused to play. Not fatal. Denktash is Turkish Cyprus's Ian Paisley. He was only driven to the table because his disconsolate electorate wanted a fresh start. They, with a huge boost from the AKP administration in Ankara, clearly demand a settlement, a chance to breathe and mingle and grow.

But it takes two parts of an island to make a referendum. The Greek Cypriots have a lot to gain, too: an end to division and introversion, a return for thousands to the lands they lost, a secure future inside Europe. Their last two presidents have struggled valiantly to make that peace. It's sad (and ironic) that the president they have today won't go the extra mile. He delivered his own TV verdict last week, one dismaying not just in its rejectionism, but in its harsh emotion.

You could forgive Tassos Papadopoulos his legal objections to the United Nations formula, the limitation of return and settlement rights, the division of resources, the definition of citizenship. He is, after all, a lawyer. You can also forgive his honest doubts. What is more difficult to forgive, though, was one throwaway line: that anyway the Turkish government could not be "trusted" to stick with any agreement. Beware Greeks bearing gibes.

Thus a small, containable crisis - the misery of Cypriots alone - grows bigger and nastier. Turkey's prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, put every last jot of effort and prestige behind a deal. He sidelined Denktash. He took on an army general staff that didn't wish to diminish its Cyprus bases. He fought local elections, won convincingly, and signed up to the UN terms. He seeks a far greater prize.

For Turkey, under this democratic Islamic party as under the secular government that preceded it, is fervent in its pursuit of EU membership. Seventy million or so souls knocking on our door. And remember that we - not just Blair and Straw, but the whole European council - have already said yes, in principle you're welcome. And that the track for negotiating business opens this year.

At Copenhagen, in December 2002, the chieftains of our union made Turkey a solemn promise: action by Christmas 2004. "Turkey has been trying to get into the EU for 40 years," said Tony Blair. "Now it has a date to start negotiations." Here was a "real breakthrough", according to Joschka Fischer. "Don't the Turks realise they've won?" asked Gerhard Schröder. Ankara didn't like the delay and scented prejudice. But it buckled down to fulfil demands, clean up its human rights act, steer Cyprus reconciliation and see a Europe's promise redeemed.

Fat chance! Last week, after some queasy MEPs in Strasbourg had led the way, France's latest foreign minister seemed to put the lid on Ankara's chances yet again. "Turkey does not respect the conditions, even if it is preparing to do so," according to Michel Barnier, addressing his own parliament. You could almost see Jacques Chirac's smirk. The long grass gathers all around.

Let Greek Cypriot voters turn aside from reunification, then, and it will be time to forget Turkey's chances for years, maybe decades, to come. Costas Karamanlis's new Greek government could have prodded Nicosia harder, but copped out, weakly jettisoning the patient Athens-Ankara bridge-building that had become true statesmanship. Papadopoulos was left free to pull the bridge down.

If he succeeds, then Greek Cyprus alone joins the EU and a fresh, perilous fault line of unreality runs across Europe. Can Ankara come back later and renew its application? Only if it reckons that Nicosia, once inside, won't use its EU veto. Only if Athens gets a grip. Only if it believes that the rest of Europe still honours its pledges and wants - truly wants - Turkish membership.

But do we? Look at the fuss over a few Romanian vetoes and study Jack Straw's lips when we talk 70 million Turks. Think what the Daily Mail would make of all that. See Schröder and Chirac slink for the nearest cop-out of an exit. See Spain's ordeal by terror put the wind up Strasbourg. What? Islam beating at our gates? Temporise; tell it to shuffle away. The Cypriot referendum isn't some isolated event. It is the key to an entire castle of hopes and dreams.

Of course, there are difficulties about Turkish membership. There always were. Of course the drive towards it brings many problems in train. Of course public opinion could be dodgy. But consider, with some bitter irony, the countervailing symbolism.

Papadopoulos says the Turks can't be trusted. To the contrary, they're delivering. It is the union they want to join which swallows its last promises before breakfast, which papers hard choices over with soft words, which oozes insincerity. What are we building in Iraq? Why, supposedly an Islamic nation that can be a beacon of western democratic values. But Erdogan has trodden that road already. He is a beacon, a historic struggler. And we shame ourselves if we let him down.

EU Denies 'Ethnic Cleansing' Over Cyprus

From the UK's Financial Times, also available here:

European Union diplomats involved in reaching a settlement over the divided island of Cyprus have rejected suggestions by Greek Cypriot leaders that the United Nations plan to unify the country amounts to "ethnic cleansing".

They were responding to Tassos Papadopoulos, Greek Cypriot leader, who last week urged voters to reject the plan on April 24, when both communities will decide the fate of the island in separate referendums.

In an emotional television address, Mr Papadopoulos said the plan would cement rather than end the 34-year division because of UN restrictions placed on Greek Cypriots wishing to buy property or reside in Turkish Cypriot areas and on Greek citizens wanting to settle on the island.

"This is nonsense," said an EU diplomat. "The measures are temporary. You cannot expect two communities to drop all their suspicions of each other after 34 years of blaming each other. It takes time to build trust, one of the reasons for these measures."

Under the terms of the UN plan - which the EU insisted on, intervening in negotiations several times to make sure it complied with EU law - the rights of both communities will be restricted in several ways. The Greek Cypriots, however, say they bear the brunt of the "discriminatory" measures.

The UN plan, endorsed by the Commission, proposed restrictions of up to 15 years for Greek Cypriots wanting to buy property in the Turkish Cypriot part of the island, or "Turkish constituent state".

The reason for the restriction is financial. Turkish Cypriots fear property will be snapped up by Greek Cypriots, who are typically wealthier. The UN transitional plans would be dropped once the Turkish Cypriot state reached 85 per cent of the gross domestic product of the Greek Cypriot constituent state.

Günter Verheugen, EU enlargement commissioner, said there was no permanent prohibition against acquiring property as such, which would contravene EU law. However, any Greek Cypriot wanting to acquire property had to seek permission.

In addition, citizens from both communities will be restricted from moving into each other's constituent states for a transitional period of up to 19 years. Even after 19 years, says the UN, "either constituent state may, with a view to protecting its identity, take safeguard measures to ensure than no less than two-thirds of its Cypriot permanent residents speak its official language as their mother tongue."

Greek and Turkish citizens will face restrictions too. They will be prevented from moving to Cyprus if the number of resident Greek or Turkish nationals on the island has reached 5 per cent of the number of resident Cypriot citizens who hold the internal constituent state citizenship and who are not dual nationals.