US moves to de facto recognition of TRNC
"Secretary Powell will hold a meeting with the leader of the Turkish-Cypriot community, Mehmet Ali Talat, on Tuesday, May 4, at the UN’s headquarters," it said in a statement.
The meeting comes as Washington considers granting de facto recognition to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to reward Turkish Cypriots for voting "yes" in a referendum on a UN plan to reunify the divided island.
"It’s indicative of our desire to continue to build relationships with the Turkish-Cypriot community, recognizing that they voted in favor of the referendum and that Mr Talat played an important and positive role in that matter," a US official said of the meeting.
The reunification plan failed when Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected the proposal despite heavy US, EU and UN pressure and a personal lobbying campaign by Talat who was vocal in his support even as veteran Turkish-Cypriot president Rauf Denktash vehemently fought against it.
Talat was "campaigning for it, supporting the referendum, negotiating it, despite the opposition of Mr Denktash," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The official said the face-to-face Powell-Talat talks — on the sidelines of a meeting of the international diplomatic quartet on the Middle East — will mark a "significant" departure from past US policy toward the TRNC.
