Denktash stopt als bemiddelaar als hij de verkiezingen in december verliest (en)

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, the person holding up crucial talks on reuniting the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, has said if he will quit as negotiator if he decisively loses a December general election in the Turkish occupied part of the island.

"If they (the opposition) win by a great majority it means the people have lost confidence in me, so why should I stay here and waste my time? But I know that will not happen", he said in the interview with Reuters on Tuesday (11 November).

Previously, Mr Denktash had insisted he would hang on as negotiator even if next month's vote went against him.

Mr Denktash's own job as "president" of the Turkish Cypriots is not being contested in the December elections.

Rejection of the Anan Plan

Negotiations on a United Nations (UN) reunification plan which proposes a loose federation along with broad autonomy for the two ethnic communities and some transfer of territory, collapsed in March in the Hague - mainly due to Mr Denktash's opposition.

Mr Denktash, has repeatedly pronounced the plan, brokered by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, as "dead" and is pushing for a two-state solution for Cyprus.

Mr Denktash appears sure that parties backing his rejection of a UN peace blueprint will win the election on 14 December.

Ahead of Cyprus' accession to the EU

The 14 December poll comes just five months before the Republic of Cyprus' accession to the EU.

Re-unification of the island, which has been divided since 1974, is not a pre-condition for Greek Cypriot accession.

However, for Turkey the issue is much more important. Failure to push for a solution of the Cyprus problem could harm its own aspirations to join the EU.

Presenting its annual progress report on 5 November 2003, the European Commission stated that the divided island posed a "serious obstacle" to Turkey's bid.

The election will come just two days after EU leaders meet in Brussels on 12-13 December to discuss the Cyprus problem.

An evaluation of the progress by Turkey towards meeting the political and economic criteria in preparation for future membership has also been put on the agenda.