President says Turkish troops will be on island in perpetuity and proposed terms of rotating presidency are unacceptable

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appears to have thrown an obstacle in the path to a Cyprus peace settlement, saying Turkish troops will be on the island in perpetuity.



Speaking after talks in Geneva were adjourned, Erdoğan also said on Friday that the envisaged terms of a rotating presidency for a unified island were unacceptable. The terms were a cornerstone of planned new governance arrangements.

The remarks, taken at face value, suggest UN peace efforts have probably not got as close to a deal as the UN sought to suggest at the end of the four days of talks on Thursday.

The conference ended with an agreement that officials would restart detailed talks on 18 January. No date was set for a further meeting at the political level.

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A peace settlement for the island, divided since 1974, would need a new form of security guarantee, and Greek Cypriots are demanding a timetable for the removal of 30,000 Turkish troops.

On Friday the Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades, reiterated that demand, saying: “Our position remains … that we must agree on the withdrawal of the Turkish army.”

But Erdoğan had a very different message. “We have told Cyprus and Greece clearly that they should not expect a solution without Turkey as guarantor,” he said. “We are going to be there forever.”

In a sign of flexibility, he later added that Turkish troops would be on the island for as long as Greek troops were present. One proposal discussed in Geneva has been for an entirely demilitarised island.

The fact that the conference for the first time dealt with the issue of guarantees, seen as the most difficult issue facing the negotiators, is regarded as progress in the intractable dispute.

At present the three security guarantors are Turkey, Greece and the UK, as the former colonial power. A UN force is on on the island on the buffer zone to prevent a return to inter-communal violence.

Turkish officials released remarks by the foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, to the conference insisting Turkey was not willing to abandon its security role.

Çavuşoğlu reportedly told the closed-door session in Geneva: “Taking into consideration the current situation in our region, the continuation of the security and guarantees system, which has been the solid basis of the 43-year-long security and stability on the island, is a necessity”.

Some argue Erdoğan cannot afford to compromise on the issue of Turkish troops while he isbattling with his parliament to secure majority support for an executive presidency, his chief political goal at present. Votes are going his way in the parliament by relatively narrow margins.

Greece put forward a variety of plans for a new security guarantee, including looking at the model of German troops after the withdrawal of Russia from East Germany.

Cyprus peace talks – all you need to know Read more

Britain retains military bases in Cyprus that are sovereign British territory, but it has offered to give up nearly half of its land as part of a final settlement.

Anastasiades sought to put a more optimistic gloss on the talks, saying: “The working groups had a mandate to process new forms [of guarantees], acceptable and radically different from the guarantee system of 1960.”

He said the presence of Turkish troops was “a source [of] and maintains instability, which is why the Cyprus problem has been open 43 years. But what one should focus on is that we are discussing ways to find a solution which will reflect the security concerns of all Cypriots.”

Turkey’s participation in the talks showed it was prepared to cooperate, he added. “It’s not a question of hope. While the dialogue is alive and steps are taken which allow a dialogue, I live in hope,” he said.

Any deal would need to be approved by referendums in both the Turkish-dominated north and the Greek-controlled south. </s> President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asserted on Friday that Turkish soldiers will remain present in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) no matter what. Speaking to reporters after Friday prayer, Erdoğan said that the KKTC has been putting in sincere efforts, while the Greek Cyprus side has been making new and different requests. Rebuffing talks that Turkish soldiers could leave the Turkish Cyprus side, Erdoğan said that it would never take place. Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said Friday that Turkish troops must leave the island. "Our position remains... that we must agree on the withdrawal of the Turkish army," he told reporters in Geneva.

 

 The president asserted that a peaceful and fair solution to the terms of presidency would be one term for the Turkish Cyprus side and two for the Greek Cyprus side.

 

 As the first round of the Cyprus Reunification talks in Geneva came to an end on Thursday, the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides decided to continue discussions as both parties agreed a permanent solution to the issue was required.

 

 Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Thursday said the Cyprus reunification talks would continue with technical discussions with a working group at the deputy level from Jan. 18, followed by ministers and then a prime ministerial level meeting.

 

 He, however, confirmed that "there was no consensus among sides on when to hold the next Cyprus conference at the ministerial level."

 

 The Conference on Cyprus convened Thursday under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the U.N., with the participation of the presidents of Greek Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), as well as the foreign ministers of Greece, Turkey and the U.K., the three guarantor powers and in the presence of the EU as an observer.

 

 "This is the first time that brought all together to discuss the chapter of security and guarantees, the sixth and last chapter of the negotiations," the U.N. said in a statement following the conference.

 

 "The participants recognized that this is the time to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion. This is a historic opportunity that should not be missed. The participants therefore committed to supporting the process towards a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus. The common objectives outlined above will require concerted efforts by all concerned over the course of the next days," the U.N. said.

 

 Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said, "We wanted the working group at the level of deputies to meet as soon as possible but the Greek side requested more time."

 

 "We do not want to have an open-ended process," he added, "We clearly pointed out the position on the issues of security and guarantees. Our position fits with the position of Turkish Cypriots," Çavuşoğlu said.

 

 "We believe that a solution on Cyprus issue will create new cooperation and trust in the East Mediterranean. It will be a win-win situation for everyone," he said.

 

 "It is a fact that Turkey's guarantor power is highly important for the Turkish Cypriots," he stressed, adding that the presence of Turkish army in the island will be continued and it is something the Turkish Cypriot community wants.

 

 Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş contended that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had put forward a condition that all guarantees be lifted, which is why "the level of attendance remained low."

 

 Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu, the U.K.'s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias all attended the latest round of the conference, along with the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

 

 U.N. envoy on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, who talked to the media after the high-level meetings, described the preceding three days of talks by the two Cypriot sides as "on track."

 

 Turkish and Greek Cypriots exchanged maps on proposed territorial boundaries Wednesday and the documents were sealed in a U.N. vault.

 

 Reunification talks resumed last May with both sides repeatedly expressing optimism over a possible solution.

 

 Once a final agreement is reached, it would be put up for a referendum to be voted on by the two Cypriot communities.

 

 Akıncı has said a reunification vote could be held in mid-2017, if an agreement is indeed reached in Geneva. </s> Greece urges Turkish troops to leave Cyprus, while Ankara insists full pull-out of its troops is "out of the question".

Hopes for a peace deal in Cyprus stalled on Friday over a decades-old dispute, with the rival sides at loggerheads over the future of Turkish troops on the divided island.

The Greek foreign minister denounced the continued presence of Turkish troops in northern Cyprus after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a full pull-out was "out of the question".

Nikos Kotzias said there can be no end to the four-decade division of Cyprus while 30,000 Turkish "occupation" troops remain on the ground.

"A just solution [to division] means, first of all, eliminating what caused it, namely the occupation and presence of occupation forces," he said in a ministry statement on Friday as he left Geneva.

In a televised appearance on Friday, Erdogan said that Turkey must remain guarantor to Cyprus, even if a deal to reunify the island that runs through both Turkish and Greek lines is made.

He added that a full withdrawal of troops could only be possible if Greece, which deploys a troop contingent, did the same.

Erdogan also indicated that there were significant differences on the issue of a rotating presidency for any future bizonal united Cyprus divided between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot entities.

He said that according to previous talks, a fair presidential rotation between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots should be implemented, which included two terms for the Greek side, for every term granted to the Turkish side. 



"That is fair. If we want a fair and comprehensive peace then this is the way to do it," he said.

The comments were made a day after the week-long United Nations-backed peace talks in Geneva, which raised hope that an agreement on reunifying the island can be reached.

READ MORE: UN's Guterres - No 'quick fix' in talks to unite Cyprus

Negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci aiming to forge a united, two-zone federation in the eastern Mediterranean island, were accompanied by top officials from Cyprus’ guarantor powers: Greece, Turkey and former colonial ruler Britain.

Akinci has insisted that some Turkish military presence is essential for Turkish Cypriots to feel secure in a prospective united country, despite Anastasiades position that a timeline must be agreed on for those troops to eventually withdraw.

"Our position remains ... that we must agree on the withdrawal of the Turkish army," Anastasiades said on Friday.

Anastasiades nevertheless said the talks in Geneva had raised hopes that a deal can in fact be struck since guarantor powers broached security matters for the first time.



"We are on a path that creates hope," he said.

The island was divided after a 1974 invasion by Turkish troops, which came in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Cyprus is home to about 800,000 Greek Cypriots and 220,000 Turkish Cypriots. The 1974 invasion, along with intercommunal violence that took place in the 1960s, displaced a total of about 200,000 Greek and Turkish Cypriots. </s> GENEVA: Hopes for a peace deal in Cyprus stalled on Friday over a decades-old dispute, with the rival sides at loggerheads over the future of Turkish troops on the divided island.

A week of UN-brokered talks in Geneva between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci sparked optimism that an agreement to reunify the island could be at hand.

But any settlement will require an agreement on Cyprus’s future security, with key players Greece, Turkey and former colonial power Britain needing to sign on.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

And a key sticking point remains the presence of some 30,000 Turkish troops in the north of the island.

Ankara and Akinci have insisted that some Turkish military presence is essential for Turkish Cypriots to feel safe in a prospective united country.

Anastasiades on Friday restated his position that a timeline must be agreed for those troops to eventually withdraw.

And Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said there can be no solution to the four-decade division of Cyprus while Turkish “occupation” troops remain.

“A just solution (to division) means, first of all, eliminating what caused it, namely the occupation and presence of occupation forces,” Kotzias said, according to a ministry statement as he left Geneva.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that a full withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Cyprus was “out of the question”.

He said in televised remarks that Athens and Greek Cypriots still have “different expectations” from their Turkish and Turkish Cypriot counterparts on resolving the Cyprus problem.

UN envoy Espen Barth Eide cautioned that discussions on security had just begun and that the subject was “emotional” for all sides.

He insisted that efforts to end one of the world’s longest running political crises would not be derailed over a temporary war of words.

Despite the roadblocks ahead, Anastasiades said the two sides were “on a path that creates hope” and that compromise was key.

“A solution cannot create winners and leave losers (in its wake). If we want it to be viable and durable, all must understand, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, that a fine balance must be struck,” he told reporters in Geneva.

Earlier in the week, the rival sides tackled thorny domestic questions like the composition of a unified government and land swaps.

In another first, they exchanged maps late Wednesday detailing their visions of how internal boundaries should be redrawn.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed in principle to return some of the land they have controlled since the failed 1974 coup.

The Greek Cypriot government said that the maps met the terms agreed during previous negotiations that foresees the Turkish Cypriot zone amounting to a maximum of 29.2 percent of the island, although disputes remain and a final version has not been agreed.

New UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who hosted the conference in Geneva on his first foreign trip at the helm of the world body, said a final deal was “close” but warned against expecting a “quick fix”.

Cyprus talks stumble over fate of Turkish troops was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 14, 2017 and was last updated on January 14, 2017. This news story is related to Print/178967-Cyprus-talks-stumble-over-fate-of-Turkish-troops/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Cyprus talks stumble over fate of Turkish troops" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/178967-Cyprus-talks-stumble-over-fate-of-Turkish-troops. </s> ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday agreed that key talks on Cyprus next week in Geneva were a "real opportunity" for a fair and lasting solution to the division of the island.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and President Nicos Anastasiades of the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus are due to meet in the Swiss city for talks from Monday in a bid to give new momentum to the process.

From Thursday, they are expected to be joined by the three guarantor powers of Cyprus -- former colonial power Britain, Greece and Turkey -- amid expectations of a major breakthrough in the UN-backed talks.

May and Erdogan discussed the upcoming talks in a telephone conversation, where the British premier also expressed her condolences for the latest terror attacks in Turkey.

"They expressed the wish the upcoming talks in Geneva will be the occasion for a lasting and fair solution to the Cyprus problem," Turkish presidential sources said.

A Downing Street spokesman added they agreed on the importance of reaching a successful resolution in Geneva.

They saw the talks as a "real opportunity to secure a better future for Cyprus and to guarantee stability in the wider region," the spokesman added.

Sticking points in the talks are set to be the presence of Turkish troops on the island, property issues and how much of the island is controlled by the two entities in a bizonal federation.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the island in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

‘Geneva talks real opportunity for Cyprus’ was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 08, 2017 and was last updated on January 08, 2017. This news story is related to Print/177608-Geneva-talks-real-opportunity-for-Cyprus/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "‘Geneva talks real opportunity for Cyprus’" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/177608-Geneva-talks-real-opportunity-for-Cyprus. </s> The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated today that “we have made it clear to Greece and Cyprus that they should not been waiting a solution without Turkey as a guarantor. We will always be there”.

These were the conditions set by Turkey during the negotiations in Geneva about the Cyprus dispute, according to Reuters.

The Turkish media report that there are three main concerns for Turkey:

 – They do not want to talk about even the possibility of the Turkish troops leaving the island.

 – They asked the villages Kokkina and Morfou to be united and to remain under the Turkish-Cypriot control.

 – They want Varosia to be given to the Greek-Cypriot constituent state.

“The Annan Plan is void”, Erdogan added and underlined that if the Turkish forces are to leave the island, the Greek forces must leave as well.

Moreover, regarding the security chapter, he stated that Turkey’s position is that the “Northern Cyprus” and the “Southern Cyrus” will have equal number of forces. </s> Turkey’s president says a full withdrawal of its forces from divided Cyprus is “out of the question” unless Greece also agrees to pull out troops.

Hopes of reunification have been raised after talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots in Geneva this week.

But a number of stumbling blocks remain, including whether any Turkish troops would stay in northern Cyprus after reunification.

The island’s communities have been split since 1974.

Key obstacles to a deal include the return of property to tens of thousands of Cypriots who fled their homes in 1974, as well as the presence of troops.

Turkey still has 30,000 troops stationed in the island’s north, whose presence Greece opposes. On Friday, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated a call for all Turkish troops to leave. Greece is thought to have about 1,000 troops stationed on the island.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said one side demanding that the other remove its troops would rule out a mutually acceptable solution.

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had said discussions were “at a critical juncture” and that technical experts would now hold talks.

The meetings are likely to begin on 18 January, with a focus on thorny security issues, reports say.

Property: What should happen to the properties that Greek Cypriots had to abandon in 1974? Should they get the right to take their old homes back, or be compensated – and if so by how much?

Security: How can the security of the Turkish Cypriots be guaranteed if Turkey’s estimated 30,000 troops leave? Greek Cypriots see them as an occupying force, so should some stay or should Turkey retain the right to intervene? Who would act as a guarantor of the deal? The EU, of which Cyprus is already a member, or the UK, which has two military bases on the island?

Power and the role of the EU: There is talk of a rotating presidency, but how would that work? And could a Turkish Cypriot president really represent the country from time-to-time at EU summits?

Territory: How much more territory should Greek Cypriots gain to reflect the fact that they make up the majority of the island’s population? UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher.

The end goal is for the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to share power in a two-state federation.

Any deal would have to win the support of both Cypriot communities in separate referendums.

While diplomats have made positive noises on the progress being made, Mr Erdogan said that Greece and the Cypriot government “still have different expectations” from Turkey.

Another obstacle, he added, was on a possible rotating presidency on Cyprus.

Instead of seeing four Greek Cypriot presidencies for every one by Turkish Cypriots, Mr Erdogan said he wanted a 2:1 balance in Greece’s favour instead.
• 1960 – Independence from British rule leads to power-sharing between Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority
• 1974 – Cypriot President, Archbishop Makarios, deposed in a coup backed by Greece’s military junta – Turkey sends troops to the island, who then occupy a third of it in the north
• 1983 – Rauf Denktash declares breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey
• 2004 – Cyprus, still divided, joins the EU, after a UN peace plan was backed by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots </s> Direct talks take place today in Geneva between Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı in what have been called “the best and last chance” to achieve a settlement of the decades long conflict which has divided the island nation.

The direct talks between Anastasiades and Akıncı are preparatory for a formal conference commencing in Geneva on 12th January 2017, which will bring not only these two leaders together but also the so-called “guarantor powers” – Greece, Turkey and Britain.

Britain is participating in the talks as Cyprus’s former colonial power and as one of the guarantors of Cyprus’s independence and territorial integrity following Cyprus’s 1950s independence war against Britain.

The talks between Anastasiades and Akıncı are the first direct talks between the leaders of Cyprus’s Greek and Turkish communities in 43 years – since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974. Supposedly they will be poring over maps and discussing territorial trade-offs before discussing the central issue of security.

The ultimate plan is to agree some of federation that will bring together the two parts of the island, ending one of Europe’s and the world’s most intractable conflicts.

There are many obstacles in the way of a settlement, and a final agreement is far from guaranteed. However there does seem to be a serious effort underway to seek a solution.

All the parties have strong reasons to seek a settlement, though not it should be stressed at any price, ensuring that the negotiations which lie ahead will be long and hard.

In the case of Turkey, which is facing multiple crises in its relations with Syria, Iraq and the US, which is struggling against terrorist campaigns launched against it by ISIS and the Kurds, and which is looking at the early stages of a possible economic crisis, settlement of the Cyprus conflict would not only be a success for President Erdogan but would mean that his government has one less problem to deal with.

In the case of Greece, a settlement of the Cyprus conflict would at last provide the otherwise disastrous Syriza government of Alexis Tsipras with a success.

For the people of Cyprus, divided from each other for 43 years, it would finally end the division of their island and their country, and bring them peace. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption UN chief Ban Ki-moon (C) is overseeing talks between the Turkish Cypriot (L) and Greek Cypriot leaders

The leaders of Cyprus are holding UN-mediated talks in Switzerland aimed at reuniting their divided island.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is at the Mont Pelerin resort for the talks. He hopes to broker a deal before he steps down at the end of the year.

A previous UN peace plan for Cyprus was rejected by Greek Cypriots in 2004.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will discuss tough security and territorial issues with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci over five days.

Reports say this round of talks - one of many over the past 42 years of frozen conflict - will focus on possible land transfers, to address the claims of Cypriots who fled their homes in 1974.

As he opened the talks on Monday, Ban Ki-moon said the two leaders had reached a critical moment, adding that "the prospect of a solution in Cyprus is within their reach".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A UN-patrolled buffer zone separates Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots

Cyprus has been split since Turkish troops invaded in 1974, following an Athens-inspired coup by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece.

Since then the island has been cut in two, with the northern third controlled by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots.

UN troops patrol the Green Line - a buffer zone cutting across the island, where damaged buildings are a reminder of the 1974 inter-communal fighting.

Cyprus aims to heal its great divide

Cyprus country profile

Issues to be resolved:

Governance: Broad agreement that the new state should be based on a federal model; but how loose should that federation be?

Security: For Greek Cypriots, the continuing presence of 35,000 Turkish troops on the island is an outrage, a constant reminder their country is occupied. Many Turkish Cypriots consider a Turkish military presence as vital, at least until they feel secure in a federal Cyprus

Territory: How much land should be administered by each community?

Property and refugees: A hugely emotional issue. About 200,000 Cypriots had to leave their homes as a result of the conflict. Arrangements for their return, or for appropriate compensation, would be complex and protracted

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, but EU law does not extend to the Turkish-controlled north. The self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey.

Cyprus adopted the euro as its currency in 2008, yet the north uses the Turkish lira.

EU diplomats are involved in the reunification talks. A deal would be a great relief for the EU after so many years of Cyprus stalemate, and at a time of inter-ethnic conflict in the nearby Middle East.

A deal would remove a major obstacle in Turkey's bid to join the EU, though many other serious obstacles remain.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vows that the Turkish Armed Forces will stay on Cyprus "in perpetuity" and that the proposal of a rotating presidency for a unified island is unacceptable, casting doubts on an eventual solution to the dispute. The remarks come as the latest round of unity talks end, with them to restart on January 18.