Talat worried about talks falling victim to elections

Although there is still a considerably long time until presidential elections in April, there is already an “election atmosphere” in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat has said, expressing concerns that such a mood might negatively affect the ongoing reunification talks with the Greek Cypriot side.
Talat has been having reunification talks with Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias since last September. The United Nations has announced that the talks will intensify in January, apparently in an effort to make progress in reunification efforts before the KKTC presidential elections. Talat has said before that he would not run for re-election if there is no progress in the peace talks. KKTC Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu, who is skeptical about the prospects of reunification, is expected to run for the position. Informing people about the latest developments regarding the reunification talks during a visit to villages near the port town of Gazimağusa (Famagusta in Greek) on Saturday, Talat said there is currently an election atmosphere despite his unwillingness for such an atmosphere to exist during the negotiations, and added that “our biggest worry is the negotiations falling victim to the elections.”

The use of views expressed during the negotiation process as election campaign material would be very dangerous and would eventually harm the negotiation process, Talat said. “The most important thing for us is succeeding in the negotiations. In this regard, it seems that we will stop the negotiations at a certain period of time before the elections,” he said. Speaking on Saturday, Eroğlu, meanwhile, denied suggestions that his party has been “[avoiding] holding negotiations.” He added, however, that it was the party that “knows what it wants.”
 

 

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29.12.2009