Any withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Cyprus will make Greek Cyprus more uncompromising during the peace talks on unifying the island, Talat said.
Talat also stated that the peace talks should be accelerated and intensive efforts are necessary to get tangible results from the negotiations, which aim to find a lasting solution to the protracted conflict in Cyprus. He also added that other states and institutions’ interest in and contributions to the peace process will certainly make a solution inescapable.
“The negotiations will not be halted if an extraordinary thing happens. If the negotiations fail, then it is important to see the treatment of both sides,” Talat noted. When asked of the prospects of a new initiative or a breakthrough from Turkey, Talat said Turkey will not start an initiative on Cyprus. “What else Turkey can do? The closed ports for Greek Cypriot ships are impossible to open. They talk about withdrawing the Turkish army. How does this relate to the peace process? In this stage, a withdrawal of the army will only harm the negotiation process.”
