The following editorial appeared in the Cyprus Weekly of Nicosia on 11 August 2000.

"Quantum leaps and straight lines

THE latest round of UN-sponsored talks for the reunification of Cyprus ended inconclusively yet again.

It was hardly surprising that each side blamed the other for the continuing deadlock. The United Nations remained non-commital.

This has been going on ever since the talks started soon after the 1974 Turkish invasion. This indicates clearly that the same situation is likely to continue indefinitely unless the Security Council decides to become more actively involved in ensuring that its own resolutions on a Cyprus settlement are respected by Turkey, the side that rejects them.

Alvaro de Soto, the special adviser on Cyprus of the UN Secretary-General, who has been conducting the Clerides-Denktash proximity talks, was anything but specific on this basic aspect of the talks.

Talking to the press at the end of the latest round in Geneva last Friday, he repeated what he said at the end of the previous rounds of the talks, that Security Council Resolution 1250 of 1999 "provides that Security Council resolutions are given full consideration and of course we shall abide by that.''

He then went on to add, however, that "there are many ways of getting to a settlement and the shortest distance to that lofty goal is not a straight line. This is why the Security Council said that any issue anyone wants to raise they can raise it.''

So Denktash, Turkey, keeps raising the issue of recognition of his breakaway state, which is specifically ruled out by the Council resolutions. He refuses to even meet Clerides face to face for direct negotiations unless this demand is met.

This has transformed the talks into a rigmarole, which is, regretfully, tolerated both by the Secretary-General himself and the Security Council. De Soto also stated during his press conference that "I think that one should hope for sober reflection on the part of the two sides regarding where we find ourselves and in what way it is possible to expatiate the process and if possible to take a few quantum leaps.

It is not clear what de Soto's own sober reflection is on the situation, and what he may be considering in order to "expatiate the process.'' What is clear is that it is time that the UN Secretary-General himself as well as the Security Council took their own long overdue quantum leap in the direction of solving the Cyprus problem.

Such a leap must make it clear that the settlement sought must emanate from "full consideration'' of the Security Council resolutions, United Nations principles and international law.

If Denktash and Turkey wish to continue raising issues such as recognition of the breakaway state, then once this happens, it must be pointed out to them why such a demand is unacceptable so that the cause for the deadlock may be removed to allow the reunification talks to proceed smoothly.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and de Soto, cannot continue on the same course of remaining impartial in the face of the continuing gross violations of human rights, and the Geneva Conventions, by Turkey and its subordinate Denktash administration in the occupied north of the island.

It is time that not just these two top UN officials, but the Security Council itself, particularly its five permanent members, made it clear to Turkey that it cannot continue to violate UN principles and respect for international law and human rights, not to mention the landmark decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Kyrenia refugee Titina Loizidou.

The Cyprus government itself must at the same time make it clear that it will return to the scheduled fifth round of talks, this time in New York, next month, if it is made clear that the settlement sought is based on the Security Council resolutions and the decision of the European Court. 

There is no need for quantum leaps, but only a simple step in a straight line, with no meanderings, in the direction of acceptance, by all involved - the two parties themselves, and all the other special advisers and mediators - that a settlement must be based on international law and respect for human rights as spelled out in the Loizidou verdict.

The continuing failure of the UN, and the major powers more actively involved in the search for a settlement, to do this, will only allow Turkey and Denktash to maintain the deadlock through their illegal and unacceptable demands."