Turkish Cypriots

The two leaders are keeping the channels of communication open, but are struggling to agree, even on the steps that will lead them to the negotiating table.

The interview given by the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhermen to Politis and President Christodoulidis' reactions, combined with the recent message from the United Nations Secretary General's personal envoy, Maria Angela Olguin, via Politis, allow for an initial assessment of the course of the Cyprus issue, though the picture is not encouraging.

Despite declarations regarding the resumption of talks, the differences remain substantial.

Most importantly, however, the discussion is beginning to take on the characteristics of mutual blaming, whilst the United Nations is attempting to salvage the momentum of the process.

Well, you know, whilst the hardcore of the army, such as yourself, Sean, from your own experience and my brother in the infantry would be heading off for, you know, tough tours of Northern Ireland where, you know, especially back then, it really was a particularly hard time and really awful things were happening and young leadership, you know, going back to this whole business of leaving Sandhurst, of people having to make split decisions, you know, under a lot of pressure with six months of training from Sandhurst, possibly not even their infantry Warminster and Brecon course, which happened certainly to some people I know.

I went off to Cyprus with the United Nations to serve with the Ferret Scout Car Squadron on the line between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots, which was a fantastic way of first deploying and being gently led into what we might now term as operations.

They weren't combat operations.

They were peacekeeping operations.

And what about life in the TRNC generally? I mean, do you see that in your long term future?

Yes, I'm very happy with my partner, who is a very proud Turkish Cypriot.

Well, we're planning on getting married as soon as he's done with his military service.

I'm not sure if you know how that works here, but they have a compulsory military service for a year.

Hands were joined, shared melodies and dances were recalled, and steps were taken.

Another positive development was the statement made by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürmann to the Greek Cypriot press.

This was a valuable step, one we hadn't seen for a long time.

Tufan Erhürmann had always harbored such hesitation.

In our face-to-face meetings, we were always in agreement that this would be meaningful, but for some reason it never materialized.

Nikos Christodoulidis, on the other hand, was far more at ease and far more generous when it came to meeting with Turkish Cypriot journalists.

The Greek Cypriot press can always act as an agenda-setter in the peace process.

We often read about certain developments there first.

If I ask you, why do you think you're successful? I'd

say through, I grew up, my family is Turkish Cypriot.

They've got a very good work ethic.

And that was ingrained in me from a very...

Here's what a Turkish MP said, Victor.

Greece must now understand that as long as it does not recognize Turkey's rights and the sovereignty of Turkish Cypriot state, no matter who it allies with, whatever agreement it signs with anyone, and however many weapons it acquires, it will not be able to feel safe.

This is a NATO nation, by the way.

It's a direct threat.

Cyprus stayed until it achieved independence in 1960.

But there always were these tensions between Greek Cypriots who supported union with Greece and the Turkish Cypriots who feared becoming a minority in a Greek-dominated state.

You have these people.

And so, by the way, like relations between Greece and Turkey, if you meet a Turkish person or a Greek person, ask them about the other side and you're going to hear some colorful language.

So there was a military intervention.

They tried to take the island all for once.

Turkey responded with its own military intervention, saying it was trying to protect the Turkish Cypriots.

This displaced lots and lots of people.