After repeated failures in reaching a deal for Cyprus' reunification, the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the Mediterranean island are having another try, and this time with unprecedented common ground.
When Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat launched a new round of peace talks Wednesday, Christofias declared they have "a common will and a common desire and a common effort" to reach an agreement, which Talat says is possible within months.
The two leaders have their reason for being optimistic. Both of them are leftist moderates sharing pre-settlement politics. Both men say they are determined to end Cyprus division which has lasted for 34 years. Both are seen as serious in finding a solution.
There was no such common ground in the 2004 referendum, when Turkish Cypriots voted for a UN settlement plan, but Greek Cypriots rejected it.
Commenting on the ongoing talks, Hubert Faustmann, professor of international relations at Nicosia University, said that "for the first time" the leaders of both sides have so much in common "in their attempt to solve the problem."
The two leaders have also impressed the world with their intensive preparations for the talks. Since Christofias was elected president in February, they have met several times for the upcoming substantive negotiations. They have agreed to open a hotline and meet every week during the future discussions.
To ensure a viable solution, the two men agreed in March to establish several working groups and technical committees. As a confidence building measure, they have agreed to reopen a symbolic border crossing at Ledra Street in the divided capital of Nicosia.
Among other favorable conditions, the talks apparently enjoy the blessing of both Greece and Turkey, which maintain influence over the island since its independence from Britain in 1960.
Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis in June confirmed Athens' active involvement in finding a viable and functional solution to the Cyprus problem, based on UN resolutions and the principles of the European Union.
Last month, Turkish President Abdullah Gul urged a solution in Cyprus under the framework of the UN secretary general's goodwill mission, pledging that Turkey would provide all kinds of support for the upcoming peace talks.
Many analysts say that the rival Cypriots have the best chance for a deal this time. The UN chief's special envoy, Alexander Downer, even declared Wednesday's talks "historic," saying the two sides have made significant progress in building confidence and the foundations for the negotiations.
Although "there will likely be further difficulties and challenges ahead," he said, "the Cyprus problem is not insurmountable" and the negotiations "can and must have a successful outcome."
At the moment, the two sides have yet to compromise over the same thorny issues, especially the form of a future federation.
The Greek Cypriots, who constitute the majority of the island's population of less than a million, are seeking a strong federation, saying a viable solution would be a federal united republic of Cyprus, bizonal and bicommunal, with one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality.
The Turkish Cypriots, who are outnumbered by about four to one, prefer a loose one, stressing a reunited Cyprus should be established on "a Turkish Cypriot constituent state and a Greek Cypriot constituent state with political equality."
Even if with a deal, they have to put it to a referendum.
In the past, 15 UN envoys tried to broker a deal, but none succeeded in a mission to reunify the island. The issue blocks Turkey's bid for European Union membership.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and controlled the north of the island following a coup.
In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the establishment of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Ankara.
Turkey maintains some 40,000 troops in the self-proclaimed "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which remains a key issue in the revived peace process aimed at reunifying the island.
Source: Xinhua
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