BY FERAI TINC
HURRIYET- When I learned of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas’s decision not to attend the four-way summit set to be held next week in Switzerland, I remembered an interesting detail from February 12, that is the last day of the meetings in New York one which surprised both the Greek Cypriots and those who were with Denktas. When these people saw Denktas advancing angrily towards the room where the Greek Cypriot side was, they were surprised and baffled. Denktas had accepted UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s arbitration, but was suggesting that if Turkish and Greek Cypriots couldn’t reach an agreement, Ankara and Athens would intervene. So the meetings would continue in a four-way style and the points where agreement proved elusive would go to Annan. Firstly, the Greek Cypriot administration rejected this suggestion and sought Europe’s intervention. This was a stillborn suggestion. Neither the European Union, nor the UN welcomed it. That day the Turkish and Greek Cypriot delegations which came to the UN Building had been taken to separate rooms. Then, Denktas’s footsteps were heard in the corridor. He was advancing towards Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos’ room and at that moment, Papadopoulos was in the corridor. Denktas stopped in front of him and said, ‘You are waiting for me to leave the table. But I won’t.’

There’s no need to follow this issue closely to understand that the Cyprus negotiations don’t continue between the two sides. The actual talks are between Annan, who will make the final decision, and the UN staff, who will prepare the plan for him and document the changes. Besides, Denktas said openly in the meeting of support in Ankara, ‘As I’m at the negotiating table, of course I will do everything.’ Yesterday TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said, ‘We’re facing a very difficult process.’ Considering all this, I think Denktas will be convinced at the last minute to go to Switzerland. Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis also changed his mind upon Annan’s invitation at the last minute and decided to go. We will witness more negotiations up until March 29. It’s very natural and necessary.