The Game

"Playing the game properly" is a statement you may find in Turkish articles that discuss the Cyprus issue. There is no real progress being made to resolve the Cyprus dispute, quite the contrary. Cypriots hold the view that both communities stand to benefit from a real solution. In fact, the benefits of such a solution will undoubtedly bring benefits to the region as a whole. It was thought that Mr. Talat's ascend toward power would bring new thoughts and ideas that were needed to reconcile the two communities. Mr. Talat's intentions are becoming transparent. We see it, time after time, whether it is the issue of Ledra, direct trade, Varosha, refugee properties, etc etc. Mr. Talat speaking to the associated press today said “I am ready to give Maras in return for abolishing all the sanctions imposed on the TRNC." Varosha (Maras in Turkish) is a dead city located just north of the Attila line. Its inhabitants fled when Turkey invaded. The city has not been repopulated by Turkish Cypriots or colonists and remains empty to this day. A similar offer was given by the previous leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Mr. Rauf Denktash. He made this proposal in a letter to Mr. Annan in July of 2003. Varosha was always meant to be used as a carrot by the Turks to encourage the Greek Cypriots to accept any future agreement. This explains why the Turks never inhabited Varosha and instead decided to fence off the whole city. Here is where the two Turkish Cypriot leaders differentiate...Mr Denktash said "We are determined to pursue our new policy of conducting the talks not on an intercommunal basis but on an interstate basis." The plans may be somewhat similar but Mr. Talat would never make this statement, that wouldn’t be playing the game properly.