Editing Cyprus problem (section)

===2008–2012 negotiations and tripartite meetings===
A first meeting of the technical committees was set to take place on 18 April 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2008/04/17/nb-03 |title=Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot negotiators to meet Friday |publisher=SETimes.com |date=17 April 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> Talat and Christofias met socially at a cocktail party on 7 May 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/turkey/8729291.asp?gid=231&sz=34463 |title=UN welcomes Cyprus reunification efforts as the committees meet |work=Hürriyet |date=18 April 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> and agreed to meet regularly to review the progress of the talks so far.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/turkey/8889614.asp?gid=231&sz=77787 |title=Turkish-Greek Cypriot leaders to meet on May 23 |work=Hürriyet |date=8 May 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> A second formal summit was held on 23 May 2008 to review the progress made in the technical committees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/382492/index.do |title=Nächster Zypern-Gipfel am 23. Mai |publisher=Die Presse |date= 8 May 2008|access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> At a meeting on 1 July 2008, the two leaders agreed in principle on the concepts of a single citizenship and a single sovereignty,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2008/07/03/feature-02 |title=Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot leaders agree on single sovereignty, citizenship |work=SETimes.com |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> and decided to start direct reunification talks very soon;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1ef3dee-47a1-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1ef3dee-47a1-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=/ World – Cyprus leaders to start peace talks |work=Financial Times |date=2 July 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> on the same date, former Australian foreign minister [[Alexander Downer]] was appointed as the new UN envoy for Cyprus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2008/07/20087133324373260.html |title=Europe – Downer appointed as UN Cyprus envoy |work=Al Jazeera English |date=1 July 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> Christofias and Talat agreed to meet again on 25 July 2008 for a final review of the preparatory work before the actual negotiations would start.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6440401.html |title=Cypriot leaders meet to discuss key issues for reunification talks |work=People's Daily |date=2 July 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> Christofias was expected to propose a rotating presidency for the united Cypriot state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2008/07/23/nb-07 |title=Christofias to propose rotating presidency in Cyprus |work=SETimes.com |date=23 July 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> Talat stated he expected they would set a date to start the talks in September, and reiterated that he would not agree to abolishing the guarantor roles of Turkey and Greece,<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6457698.html |title=Talks for Cyprus solution expected to start in September |work=People's Daily |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2008/07/24/nb-06 |title=Talat says Cyprus reunification talks will start in September |work=SETimes.com |date=24 July 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref> with a reunification plan would be put to referendums in both communities after negotiations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7525266.stm |title=Cyprus sets date for peace talks |work=BBC News |date=25 July 2008 |access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref>

In December 2008, the [[Athens|Athenian]] socialist daily newspaper ''[[To Vima]]'' described a "crisis" in relations between Christofias and Talat, with the Turkish Cypriots beginning to speak openly of a loose "confederation",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=32&artId=244702|script-title=el:Κρίση στις σχέσεις Χριστόφια και Ταλάτ |trans-title=Crisis in relations between Christofias and Talat |date=30 November 2008|work=[[To Vima]]|language=el|access-date=1 December 2008}}</ref>{{Clarify|date=March 2009}}<!-- in Greek and cannot seem to find translation in English--> an idea strongly opposed by South Nicosia. Tensions were further exacerbated by Turkey's harassment of Cypriot vessels engaged in oil exploration in the island's [[Exclusive economic zone of Cyprus|Exclusive Economic Zone]], and by the Turkish Cypriot leadership's alignment with Ankara's claim that Cyprus has no [[continental shelf]].<!-- Cyprus is a subduction zone at the meeting of the Eurasian and African plates-->

On 29 April 2009, Talat stated that if the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales]] (that will put the last point in [[Apostolides v Orams|Orams' case]]) makes a decision in the same spirit as the decision of [[European Court of Justice]] (ECJ) then the negotiation process in Cyprus will be damaged<ref>[http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/en/cat/2/news/48882 "President of Turkish Cyprus Talat holds three and a half hour meeting with political party leaders regard Orams case"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606101505/http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/en/cat/2/news/48882 |date=6 June 2013 }}</ref> in such a way that it will never be repaired once more.<ref>[http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/tr/cat/2/news/48875] "Müzakere sürecinin bir daha düzeltilmesi mümkün olmayan bir şekilde zedeleneceği uyarısında bulunuldu" means "in such a way that it will never be repaired once more'' in English. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606095231/http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/tr/cat/2/news/48875|date=6 June 2013}} Hence, the expression in BRTK Turkish web site is missing some parts in BRTK English web site. Translation to English is corrected in Wikipedia.''</ref>{{full citation needed|date=October 2022}} The European Commission warned the Republic of Cyprus not to turn Orams' legal fight to keep their holiday home into a political battle over the divided island.{{citation needed|date=May 2018|reason=[[WP:DAILYMAIL]]}}

On 31 January 2010, United Nations [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-moon]] arrived in Cyprus to accelerate talks aimed at reuniting the country.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article98552.ece "Ban holds talks with rival Cyprus leaders"]. ''[[The Hindu]]''. 1 February 2010.</ref> The [[2010 Northern Cyprus presidential election|election]] of nationalist [[Derviş Eroğlu]] of the [[National Unity Party (Northern Cyprus)|National Unity Party]] as president in Northern Cyprus on was expected to complicate reunification negotiations;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2010/04/nationalist-wins-northern-cyprus-election/67727.aspx|first=Toby |last=Vogel|work=European Voice |title=Nationalist wins northern Cyprus election|date=19 April 2010}}</ref> however, Eroǧlu stated that he was now also in favour of a federal state, a change from his previous positions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://derstandard.at/1271377644004/Neuer-Praesident-Nordzyperns-fuer-Bundesstaat|title=Neuer Präsident Nordzyperns für Bundesstaat|language=de|trans-title=New president of Northern Cyprus for federal state |work=Der Standard|access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref>

A series of five tripartite meetings took place from 2010 to 2012, with Ban, Christofias and Eroǧlu negotiating, but without any agreement on the main issues. When asked about the process in March 2011, Ban replied "The negotiations cannot be an open-ended process, nor can we afford interminable talks for the sake of talks".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/main/92,1,283,0,17663-CYPRUS.aspx|title=UN chief worried about talks|work=InCyprus|access-date=2 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926230539/http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/main/92,1,283,0,17663-CYPRUS.aspx|archive-date=26 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> That month saw the 100th negotiation since April 2008 without any agreement over the main issues- a deadlock that continued through the next year and a half despite a renewed push for Cyprus to unite and take over the EU presidency in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/1903256.html|title=Turkish FM hopes for Cyprus reunification referendum in early 2012|date=9 July 2011|work=Trend|access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref>

Talks began to fall apart in 2012, with [[Ban Ki-moon]] stating that "there is not enough progress on core issues of reunification talks for calling an international conference".<ref>[https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41834&Cr=Cyprus&Cr1= UN News Center] 21 April 2012</ref>{{full citation needed|reason=Title missing|date=October 2022}} Special Advisor of the Secretary-General Alexander Downer further commented that "If the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Leaders cannot agree with each other on a model for a united Cyprus, then United Nations cannot make them".<ref>[http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=5214 UNFICYP official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808043644/http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=5214 |date=8 August 2014 }} 27 April 2012</ref>{{full citation needed|reason=Title missing|date=October 2022}} Eroglu stated that joint committees with the Greek Cypriot side had been set up to take confidence-building measures in September that year, but negotiations were suspended in early 2013 because of a change of government in the Greek Cypriot community of Cyprus.<ref>[http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/02/01/ban-says-two-sides-close-to-joint-statement Cyprus Mail] 2 February 2014</ref>{{full citation needed|reason=Title missing|date=October 2022}} On 11 February 2014, Alexander Downer, UN Secretary-General's special adviser, stepped down.<ref>[http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/02/11/downer-steps-down/ "Downer steps down"]. ''Cyprus Mail''. 11 February 2014.</ref> The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders declared a [[2014 Cyprus talks|Joint Communique]].<ref name="Cyprus Mail 11 Feb 2014"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot parties set up committees|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=96183|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213042253/http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=96183|url-status=usurped|archive-date=13 December 2012|work=WorldBulletin|access-date=4 October 2012}}</ref>