Cautious Ankara sets 3 conditions for Cyprus

Turkey has set three conditions regarding security, land tradeoffs and a rotating presidency to achieve a solution on Cyprus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Jan. 13, one day after a five-party conference over Cyprus ended without agreement but with a plan for officials to reconvene on Jan. 18 to tackle the thorny question of security.

According to Erdoğan, the Turkish Cypriots "are working intensely and bringing sincerity" to the table, but the Greek Cypriots and Athens "still have different expectations." 

As part of the three conditions for a solution, Erdoğan reiterated that the Turkish side had said the Greeks should not expect a guarantee without Turkey, adding that a full withdrawal of Turkish troops was "out of the question." 

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, on the other hand, said on Jan. 13 that any deal to reunify Cyprus must include the withdrawal of the 30,000 Turkish troops from the island.

Erdoğan said Turkey and Greece could keep the previously agreed similar number of soldiers on the island, that is, 950 Greek troops to 650 Turkish troops. 

Commenting on demands that all Turkish troops be withdrawn from the island, Erdoğan said, "If such a thing is being thought of, then both of the sides need to pull all of their soldiers from here." 

Stating that the Geneva peace talks were a new negotiation process separate from the 2004 Annan Plan, Erdoğan said Morphou and Erenköy (Kokkina) could be joined and left to the Turkish Cypriot side, while the whole of Famagusta, including Varosha, could be left to the Greek Cypriots. 

As the last clause, Erdoğan said a rotating presidency in which the Turkish Cypriots would hold the post one time for every four times that it is held...