At Square One

BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Sometimes coincidences make things easier. At the luncheon given on the occasion of VE Day celebrations in Moscow, the seating arrangement put Greek Cyprus leader Tassos Papadopoulos at the same table as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Maybe this coincidence created the first direct contact opportunity for a new beginning on the Cyprus issue.
During the luncheon, Annan and Papadopoulos discussed how they can jump start the negotiations process, which is currently dormant. The secretary-general said that there is a need for a new formation, and the Greek Cypriot leader said he favors the negotiations starting again. Annan also said that he plans to send a special envoy to the region soon.
At the end of the luncheon, when Prime Minister Erdogan went to Annan’s table to talk to him, this time also with the participation of Papadopoulos, the conversation turned into a tripartite one.
What does this mean? Will a new negotiating process begin? The conversations in Moscow were only square one of a new deal. So it is impossible to say how a new process will unfold. Right now we can only say that there’s just a chance. That’s all.
In the coming weeks a lot of work will be done on this. From the beginning, the Turkish side has always stressed that it favors new negotiations.
Now Papadopulos has a similar stance. It is pleasing to see that the prospect of new negotiations on the Cyprus issue has emerged again, but we shouldn’t be too optimistic about this before knowing under which circumstances it will happen.
The coincidence in Moscow has cleared the path for a new process, but this path seems to be very long and difficult.