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Brown urges Cypriots to seize moment ‘to make history’
The United Nations had already announced Britain’s offer on Tuesday. The offer is similar to one made by the former colonial power in 2003 and would be conditional on a peace deal between the two sides. Britain has a strategically located air base on the Mediterranean island that would not be part of any deal. Britain was offering about 45 square miles (about 120 square kilometers) of land to help seal a deal to reunify the divided nation, said UN spokesman Jose Diaz on Tuesday.
Urging Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat “to exploit this unique opportunity and move to resolve the issue” of reunification in the statement, Brown said: “My message to Cyprus’ leaders and to their people is you can make history. Be bold, be courageous. The UK will support you.”
Brown’s office, meanwhile, noted that he has no current plans to hold talks in London with Talat.
Britain gave up Cyprus in 1960, but retained two strategic pockets of territory -- on prime undeveloped real estate -- which account for about 3.0 percent of the island’s territory.
Greek and Turkish Cypriots are attempting to find a power-sharing formula under a federal system and settle property disputes from years of partition. Territorial adjustments, which have in previous peace blueprints been in favor of the numerical majority Greek Cypriots, would be a key element in any deal. Turkish Cypriots now control some 37 percent of Cypriot territory. The 2003 British offer had been incorporated into a UN blueprint which was rejected by Greek Cypriots in a 2004 referendum.
In Nicosia, in a written statement released on Wednesday night, Christofias said he “noted positively” the proposal by Britain. Without making further comment on the offer yet, Christofias, said: “We expect the United Kingdom will help towards a viable and operational solution of the Cyprus problem.”
Earlier during the day, Talat declined to comment on the British offer, saying it would be taken up in detail when the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides begin discussing distribution of land as part of their ongoing talks to reunite the island. “It appears to be an initiative aimed at removing Greek Cypriot reluctance [in the reunification talks],” he told reporters ahead of a session of the Turkish Cypriot Parliament to discuss the Cyprus peace efforts.
Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou also gave a lukewarm response, saying, “What Britain can do if it wants to effectively help this process is to exert influence and encourage Turkey to be more accommodating on the talks.” Talat’s spokesman, Hasan Erçakıca, called the renewed offer “very significant.” Erçakıca told the Turkish News Agency-Cyprus (TAK) that he hopes such moves would contribute to achieving a peace agreement.
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