Monday, 7 December 2009
Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus had a "plan b" in case peace talks to reunify the island with Greek Cypriots fail.
"We definitely have a 'plan b' but I can not disclose it right now," Talat told a meeting with Turkish Cypriots living in the United Kingdom on Sunday.
Turkish Cypriot leader Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias re-launched peace talks to reunify the island in September 2008. They have had over 50 meetings so far.
Asked if there was an agreement with Greek Cypriot side on major topics, Talat said, "there are some issues we have agreed on and there are some more we could not agree on. We need a give-and-take process to reach final agreements."
He said talks would be intensified and expressed hope for progress, adding that Turkish Cypriot arguments were in line with UN parameters which did not cause a problem for Turkish Cypriot side in the international arena.
Recalling that he had a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week, Talat said Britain, a guarantor power in the island, should play an encouraging and more important role as it was the country that could make the best diplomatic formulation of the problem.
"And I can say that I saw British officials are more interested when compared to past," he said.
