talat invited by anastassiades for dinner

Anastassiades invites Talat to dinner
By Andreas Avgousti

THE SPIRIT of goodwill is spreading across the political scene in Cyprus, with opposition leader Nicos Anastassiades doing his bit.
The DISY leader has invited Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to his residence in Limassol on the evening of April 8.
Anastasiades said the invitation was meant to reciprocate his own visit to Talat’s residence in the north.

He added that both political and social meetings between the two sides would help create a good climate between the two sides.
When he had last arranged a meeting with Talat early last year, Anastassiades was heavily criticised by other politicians, including the current President.
At the time, Demetris Christofias had said that the DISY leader was merely creating a diversion and that the meeting would not give the correct messages.
DIKO vice-chairman George Kolokassides had gone a step further, accusing Anastassiades of, “tampering with the national interests”.

The new meeting is not expected to provoke such a vehement reaction, since Anastassiades’ initiative comes under more fortuitous circumstances for the island.
On April 8, a DISY contingent will also meet a delegation from Ferdi Soyer’s Turkish Republican Party.

Anastassiades expressed his approval at some of the statements made recently by Christofias, such as that if the Greek Cypriots will ever return to Kyrenia, they would have to do so under Turkish Cypriot administration.
“It is high time we spoke to people with frankness,” the DISY leader said, adding that
slogans aimed at internal consumption should cease.

He also identified three possible international developments which could negatively affect the efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

First, if the Franco-German axis manages to impose its desire on the EU to offer Turkey a special relationship with the bloc instead of full membership.
Second, the domestic crisis in Turkey makes its position on Cyprus unpredictable.
Third, the independence of Kosovo can be construed as a precedent by those who want international recognition for the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’.

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