By YUSUF KANLI
TDN- Since a Sept. 5, 2007 meeting between Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and the now-out-of-office Tassos Papadopoulos, the leaders of the two sides of Cyprus will come together for a first-ever face-to-face meeting today at the Nicosia buffer zone residence of the outgoing United Nations resident representative on the island, Michael Moller.
Like the strong friendship between Rauf Denkta_ and Glafcos Klerides, the former leaders, it is known that new Greek Cypriot leader, Demetris Christofias, and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Talat have long been not only close friends, but also compatriots as two socialist (or communist) politicians. Aside from some friendly exchanges, the relationship between Denkta_ and Klerides did not help achieve a resolution to the Cyprus problem. Now, will the strong ideological bonds and friendly relations between Talat and Christofias help them break the ice in Cyprus peacemaking, stop the island`s drift toward permanent partition and achieve unity in a new federal Cyprus? As the two leaders are meeting today, that goal appears far more difficult than the romantic expectations of the election campaigning period in southern Cyprus, when Christofias was not yet categorically rejecting some key demands of the Turkish Cypriot side, such as the "virgin birth" status of the new state the two "founding states" would create, or the Annan plan that Turkish Cypriots believe must be a reference document for any new talks.
Ledra opening might not be that easy
The format and agenda of today`s meeting was set by senior aides of the two leaders some 10 days ago. At that meeting, to the surprise of the Greek Cypriot side, Talat`s representative, Özdil Nami, apparently agreed to all the demands made by George Iacovou, the representative of Christofias. As the two leaders enter their first-ever face-to-face meeting today, there are speculations that Talat`s envoy did not get the approval of the Turkish Cypriot leader particularly regarding the demands made by Iacovou on the opening of the Ledra (Lokmacy) crossing point; many Cyprus observers expect the two leaders to announce today when it will be opened. If that gate opens in accordance with what Iacovou told Nami, that would mean Turkish Cypriots will for the first time hand over some territory - a small piece of land between the Kykkos and Ermou avenues - to the Greek Cypriot side. Will Talat really agree to that?
Secondly, under the terms Iacovou wanted, Turkish troops within 50 meters vicinity of the Ledra crossing would be "withdrawn" and the Turkish side of the crossing would be guarded only by police. This will also be the first ever time Turkish troops will be "withdrawn" from a border post without a reciprocal arrangement. Will Talat agree to that as well? If he does agree to these demands, what will be the impact of such a development on Talat`s relations with Turkey, particularly with the Turkish military planning to send Chief of General Staff Gen. Ya_ar Büyükanyt on the first ever visit to northern Cyprus by the top Turkish general this Monday? Talat and the Turkish military had some difficult times in 2006 and 2007 because of the Ledra arrangements the Turkish Cypriot leader wanted to undertake.
Opening the Limnitis (Ye_ilyrmak) crossing point and some other gates will also be on the agenda of the two leaders` meeting, which the two sides agreed to hold with an "open agenda."
Open agenda, but.
Despite the "open agenda" decision, however, the Greek Cypriot side enters talks today with a demand that the new process on the island be based on the July 8, 2006 agreement - the Ibrahim Gambari process - which called for the establishment of some political and social committees to work to improve the climate between the two sides and prepare conditions for comprehensive talks for a resolution of the Cyprus problem. Since July 8 and despite a decision by Talat and former Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos on Sept. 5, 2007 to "facilitate" the implementation of the July 8 deal, the two sides so far could not even agree on a venue where the committees would meet.
While Christofias has been demanding that the new process be based on the Gambari process, Talat has been stressing that if the two sides really have the political will to start comprehensive talks, engaging in committee works to prepare grounds for comprehensive talks would just be a waste of time. Though mines at the nearby U.N.-controlled Nicosia Airport have long been cleared, it appears the two leaders will indeed be meeting in a political minefield. Let`s hope they succeed to walk through safely and emerge at the front door of Moller`s residence with a message of hope and commitment that they are in agreement to compromise and stop the drift to partition on the island.

(Yusuf Kanly can be contacted at [email protected] or [email protected])