BBQ politics

Greek Cypriot politicians staged a very heated verbal exchange in the House of Representatives over reports that ruling Democratic Rally Party (DISI) Chairman Averof Neophytou visited the presidential office in northern Cyprus to discuss ways of overcoming the deadlock in the Cyprus talks during a BBQ with President Mustafa Akıncı.

What's wrong in that? According to inner party critics, and naturally rival party leaders, visiting Akıncı and enjoying a working dinner with him at the presidential office was a "treacherous act" because such developments provided a degree of recognition to Turkish Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey.

Democratic Party (DIKO) leader Nicholas Papadopoulos argued during parliamentary discussions that elevating the status of the Turkish Cypriot presidency by Neophytou attending a supper there was unacceptable. But was it only Neophytou who attended a social event at the Turkish Cypriot presidency? Wasn't Andros Kyprianou, the leader of the socialist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), a guest of Akıncı just five nights before Neophytou? Apparently, Kyprianou managed to hide his working dinner with Akıncı from the Greek Cypriot media and has so far escaped a grilling as well.

 These obsessions about "elevating the north to the level of the Cyprus Republic" by Greek Cypriots have marred many prospects so far. On Feb. 1, 2010, a visit to the Turkish Cypriot presidential office by then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was protested by all Greek Cypriot parties, including President Nicos Anastasiades' DISI and Kyprianou's AKEL.

 The dinner Neophytou had with Akıncı in the Turkish Cypriot presidential office as well as rumors about probable topics discussed at that dinner infuriated Papadopoulos,...