Talat: “Christofias wanted to say “yes” to the Annan Plan but he changed his mind after Papadopoulos’ pressure”Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris (25.11.11) publishes an interview by the former Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat who stated that the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias was going to say “yes” to the Annan Plan, but he changed his mind after pressure exerted on him by “various political circles”.

Talat, who was speaking to Hasan Hasturer’s TV show broadcasted on Ada TV, evaluated the progress of the Cyprus negotiations and referred to the period of the Annan Plan.

Talat said that he believes that President Christofias wants a solution and that he wanted to say “yes” to the Annan Plan, but he changed his mind after the late President Tassos Papadopoulos’ pressure.

He went on and said that during the time he was negotiating the Cyprus problem with President Christofias, they prepared 30 rapprochement papers, in which they came in common ground. According to Talat, it was the first time that the two sides in Cyprus prepared some papers in the negotiations.