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Greek Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades is expected to travel to New York Nov. 29 for a “mitral cardiac valve operation.” Earlier, it was claimed that the Greek Cypriot president would undergo an operation only after his alcoholism-ridden physical situation was improved with a rigid medical course and strict dietary measures.

Greek Cypriot readers have been bombarding this writer with electronic mail complaining that mentioning Anastasiades’ alcoholism problem was hitting below the belt. Was it indeed? If Anastasiades’ physical health and mental situation is important is it possible to say “alcoholism is his private affair?” On the contrary, anyone following the Cyprus talks process should acknowledge at least two major mishaps over the past months because of his alcoholism problem. Even the houseflies of the Greek Cypriot presidency might testify to how aggressive Anastasiades might become when at his drinking time he had no access to his favorite blend of whiskey. Or, can anyone ask Lisa Buttenheim – the U.N. special envoy to Cyprus – why after an alleged request from Turkish Cypriot leader Derviş Eroğlu she decided to give a 30-minute break to talks at 12:00 and ordered her staff to offer whiskey “to the participants” in the small study room, adjacent to the dining room of her residence, where talks were being held?

Why did Eroğlu make that claimed request? Precisely because for the past many years, Anastasiades starts drinking at noon and he becomes angry and starts yelling if he cannot get hold of a glass full of whiskey. Why did he yell at his negotiation team and walk out of the meeting in July in anger, shoveling around chairs? Was that the only such incident or the only one that was leaked to the media? At that...