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Greek Cypriots say reunification deal unlikely in 2009
Nicosia (AFP) July 14, 2009 The Cyprus government said on Tuesday that a reunification deal to end decades of division on the island is not on the cards in 2009, as hoped for by the international community. "As things stand now, with the positions tabled by the Turkish side, and nothing changes, we don't see how it's possible for a settlement to be agreed on and put to a referendum by December," government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told reporters. Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday urged that peace negotiations be concluded swiftly so a deal could be reached before year's end. Although no deadline has been set, the United Nations is hoping the talks process will end by December and that simultaneous referendums can be held in early 2010. Last month, senior State Department official Matthew Bryza said Washington hoped for a Cyprus settlement by the end of the year, and there is growing diplomatic pressure for increased momentum in the talks. But UN-brokered reunification talks between President Demetris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot leader, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have struggled to achieve tangible progress since they were launched last September. The Greek Cypriots oppose deadlines for a solution, and both sides remain far apart on key issues such as land swaps, resettlement of refugees, power sharing and security guarantees. In 2004, a UN-backed reunification plan was scrapped after it was rejected in a referendum by Greek Cypriots but backed by Turkish Cypriots. Christofias entered into fresh peace talks after a four-year stalemate on the understanding that the United Nations would only mediate and not dictate a solution. Alexander Downer, the UN envoy presiding over the talks, said on Tuesday it would be a "big mistake" for the peace process to go down the same path as in 2004. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded the northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup aimed at union with Greece. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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