Former Turkish Cypriot chief negotiator Kudret Özersay will visit London

Next week, Londoners have the chance to grill one of the world’s leading experts on the Cyprus negotiations.  Professor Kudret Özersay is a former Turkish Cypriot Chief Negotiator and a special representative of the TRNC President with 12 years of experience in the Cyprus negotiations. He will speak at two London seminars, one in English and one in Turkish, where he will address the growing speculation surrounding the current talks and the type of settlement they may deliver. Titled ‘Cyprus Talks: pushing for a settlement or pushing like Sisyphus?’, the seminars will consider thorny issues such as property, territory, and security where the two sides have struggled to agree, along with those areas where convergence has been achieved. Prof. Özersay will assess the impact of Cyprus’ EU membership on the established UN parameters for a settlement. He will conclude by considering if, after fifty years of talks, a breakthrough is imminent given the current climate or whether, like the ancient Greek king Sisyphus, the two sides in Cyprus are destined to forever push uphill for a peace deal that never materialises. Both events will include a question and answer session with Prof. Özersay. 

 English talk: 7.45pm, Friday 11 September 2015 – Bromley Central Library, large hall (4th floor), High Street, Bromley, Kent BR1 1EX   Turkish talk: 7.45pm, Saturday 12 September 2015, at Hornsey Vale Community Centre, 60 Mayfield Road, London, N8 9LP   Entry to both events is free of charge. BKTD is offering Turkish Cypriots in southeast London subsidised coach travel to the Turkish seminar on Saturday night. Contact the group by email, [email protected], or call 07828 548 472 by Monday 7th September to register your place.