By Andrew Warshaw
June 28 – Turkish Cypriot football officials believe their landmark talks with the Greek side aimed at unifying football on the politically divided island should move a vital step forward by the end of August. That’s when both bodies hope to have secured enough common ground to finally request FIFA to meet them after months of tortuous negotiations over a draft agreement.
“The negotiations with the CFA (Cyprus Football Association) are being finalised in a very good way,” Cyprus Turkish Football Association President Hasan Sertoğlu told assembly members. “We have strong support from the clubs and the other authorities.”
With the political environment still extremely complicated, neither side wants to say too much publicly in the final few weeks of delicate discussions.
Earlier this year the leaders of the respective federations announced they were closer than ever to burying their differences after decades of separation and mistrust.
In what was described by both sides as a crucial breakthrough that could pave the way for ultimate integration, Cyprus Football Association president Costakis Koutsokoumnis met Sertoglu, whose unofficial CTFA is not recognised by FIFA, to set out a roadmap for a deal that will have ramifications far beyond fans on both sides of the island.
The talks ended with the announcement that the two sides would visit FIFA headquarters in March to try and finalise a deal but that didn’t take place and no subsequent date has yet been reached.
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