Biden wants end to Cyprus occupation

[zefs]

Biden wants end to Cyprus occupation
US Senator Joe Biden, running mate of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and an experienced diplomat, has called for the “full withdrawal” of Turkish troops from northern Cyprus in an interview published in yesterday’s Kathimerini.

Biden, chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee – who has referred to the Cyprus occupation as an “anomaly” – told Kathimerini that Washington’s relations with Ankara “will be influenced by how the Cyprus problem is solved, namely by the full withdrawal of Turkey, and from how Greek and Turkish differences in the Aegean are settled.”

Biden said the stance of Cyprus leaders – Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat – made him “more optimistic than ever” that a settlement will be agreed upon.

Obama’s running mate pledged Washington’s “constant and active support” for peace talks. “We have the opportunity, with the cooperation of Greece, to find a logical solution to Cyprus and end the occupation,” he said.

As for tactics for breaking the deadlock, Biden said negotiators should focus on existing common ground and build from there. “Part of diplomacy is determining which issues serve common interests and focusing on these to find a solution.”

A few months ago Biden had been even more outspoken on the Cyprus issue, remarking: “The only truly unresolved and unremitting injustice that exists in that whole area of the world is Cyprus. It is still there.”

Questioned about the Macedonia name dispute, Biden was less willing to put himself on the line. “(The dispute) is not something that we can influence,” he said, adding “I hope you can resolve it.”

http://www.phantis.com/

[Paulos Melas]

As for the Cyprus dispute things are a bit more complicated than anticipated.
Prior to the turkish invasion of 1974 the island was a persistent source of trouble foe UN. There was an on going civil war between the two communities casausing the big powers to constantly propose solutions that either side was in one way or another rejecting. However since 1974 the island is at peace and I wouldn t thought that Europe and US are prepared to force a solution that eventually could bring out of their long dormancy the dispute, hatry and ultimately the coalition of the greek and turkish communities with unforseen consequences for the stability and security of eastern med-black sea. For the great powers the issue is de facto resolved.
Should we want to see the issue terminated then there must be a radical but equally creative stance from both Greece and Turkey.
There are two ways to follow as per my opinion:
a. Recognition of the pseudo-state with substatial exchanges for Greece in the aegean and return of some of the occupied territories to the greek cypriot side.
b. No winner solution for both sides.
The three most importnat issues are the army, police internal and external affairs and court juristiction.
Should the cypriots want to be reunited then all those issues must be handled by a third state. For instance both communities could agree to offer the crown of Cyprus to HM the Queen of GB, placing a petition for Cyprus to become the 5th constituent country of UK. Cypriots then will become one of UK nations bearing british citizenship but each community should have the right to hold dual nationality ie Greek or turkish.
British amred forces police and courts would oversee the local affairs and the two communities would leave in harmony.
Otherwise I think there is the perilous posibilty to trigger once more a greek-turkish conflict in Cyprus that could create a domino effect in the relations of bothgreece and Turkey to the expense of a long and well established tranquility in the eatern med region
As such