Arrr, it be lookin' like them peace talks be sinkin' faster than a scurvy dog in shark infested waters!
2024-05-15
Arrr, Turkish Cypriot scallywag Ersin Tatar be tellin' that U.N. envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuélla there be no chance for parley with them Greek Cypriot landlubbers to heal Cyprus' ethnic rift. Avast, looks like peace be as likely as findin' a buried treasure without a map!
In the language of a 17th-century pirate, the chances of restarting formal talks to mend Cyprus' decades-long ethnic division be lookin' dimmer on Wednesday. The leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots be tellin' a U.N. envoy that there be no common ground with Greek Cypriots for a return to negotiations. Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar be sayin' that talks can't happen unless separate Turkish Cypriot sovereignty in the island's northern third first gains the same international recognition as the Cyprus republic in the Greek Cypriot south.Tatar be demandin' a permanent Turkish military presence and military intervention rights as prerequisites to any peace deal. He be expressin' irritation with the U.N. envoy's contacts with civil society groups supportin' a reunification accord, as he be standin' firm on his stance since risin' to power in 2022. The fact that he be unyieldin' after four months of shuttle diplomacy don't bode well for talks restart.Despite the efforts of the U.N. envoy to bring the leaders together, the division between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots be as wide as the seven seas. Turkish Cypriots be demandin' a two-state deal with Turkish troops stationed permanently on the island, while Greek Cypriots be rejectin' any deal that formalizes a partition. The U.N. envoy be preparin' a report for the Secretary-General about her findings, but the road to reconciliation be lookin' rough and stormy ahead.