Talat: Positive Outcome Likely on Turkish Cypriot Side if Referendum Held Now

Talat provided information on the history of Cyprus negotiations in his speech at the panel. Emphasizing that the Cyprus negotiation history began in Beirut in 1968, Talat noted that at that time, the parties could not fully articulate what they wanted. Talat mentioned that Papadopoulos did not negotiate with the Turkish Cypriot delegation from one day to the next, stating, "Because according to him, if we came together, we would elevate to his level.

He told UN officials that Talat and Serdar were authorized to negotiate, but they had no authority to concede." Talat mentioned, "The UN organized a cocktail party to bring us together," highlighting that there was indeed no mutual debate and evaluation during the Annan Plan negotiation process. Referring to the proposals made by Kleridis, Mehmet Ali Talat said, "Kleridis, if I'm not mistaken, presented a 10-point proposal. The Cyprus founding agreements are not suitable for today and will be annulled. They will be replaced by other founding agreements. The guarantee agreements will also secure and expand the borders of the two federal units." Talat indicated that the situation regarding security, which the Greek Cypriot side accepted, led to the formation of the Annan Plan. Talat said, "Otherwise, if these breaking points had not occurred at different times, there might not have been any progress at all. Kleridis was a hawk in the first term and a dove in the second term."

Emphasizing Kleridis's significant contribution to the formation of the Annan Plan during his second term, Talat said, "The situation of the communities is also present alongside a few significant figures in these negotiation processes." Talat said, "If there were a serious negotiation process on the Turkish Cypriot side now, and if it went to a referendum, there would most likely be a positive outcome," noting that surveys also indicated this.

Talat used the example of Anastasiadis's statement at Crans Montana, "I cannot even convince my people to share health services with the Turkish Cypriots," to illustrate the difficulty in convincing the Greek Cypriot population. Talat concluded, "If this is the case, the job of the leaders is to convince their communities. The solution to the Cyprus problem will be good for Turkey, Greece, and the region. The most serious issue between Turkey and Greece is Cyprus, followed by the Aegean."