Request for a meeting
It is expected that, barring a change in schedule, Talat will in fact travel to England sometime in the fall to meet with Blair.
Signature does not mean recognition
During his Ankara meetings, Talat also touched on the signing of the Customs Protocol, saying that it by no means indicates an official recognition of the Greek Cypriot side of the island. At the same time, there was more reassurance from the Turkish authority that prior to a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, sea ports and airports would not be opened to Greek use.
The fact that President Talat did not stay in the traditional "Glass Kiosk" at Cankaya brought forth different opinions from the Cypriot and Turkish sides.
While the Turkish side said there had "been no request to stay" in the "Glass Kiosk," the Cypriot side said simply that they were there as "guests," and that they would "conform to whatever program Ankara had drawn up."