Talat, speaking to reporters late Wednesday, said Clinton was expected to meet with Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou a short time before meeting with him, the Anatolia news agency reported. He said he found such scheduling inappropriate, adding that although he hasn’t yet given an official answer, he has no plans to accept the invitation under the current circumstances.
Talat, meanwhile, also emphasized that he didn’t want to be away from Cyprus for three or four days, which would be the case if he travels to Washington. He didn’t elaborate, but it is likely that his desire to remain in Cyprus is linked to a presidential election scheduled to be held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) in the second half of April.
The incumbent president announced over the weekend that he would seek a second presidential term in the election next month, pitting him against a popular hard-liner in a vote believed to be crucial to the reunification process on divided Cyprus.
The winner of the election, scheduled for April 18, will be mandated to continue peace negotiations with the Greek Cypriots, a complex process that could be pivotal to Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.
