Two-state solution required in Cyprus, say Turkish Cypriots

GÖKSEL BOZKURTNICOSIA - Hürriyet Daily News
Thursday, October 29, 2009

Members of the government in Turkish Cyprus believe that negotiations between Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias are at a standstill. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu and Foreign Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün say the answer lies in a two-state solution

While Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat and his Greek counterpart Dimitris Christofias continue to talk about reunifying Cyprus, other members of the government on the northern side of the island have come to believe the negotiation process has reached a deadlock.

Two leading Turkish Cypriot politicians, Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu and Foreign Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün, both recently said they believe the solution lies in the formation of two separate states.

The change in tack could be a sign of more trouble on the horizon for the ailing negotiations in regard to Turkey’s European Union aspirations. As long as Turkey keeps its ports closed to shipping from Greek Cyprus, on grounds that the EU should keep its word on easing the isolation of Turkish Cyprus, then EU-member Greek Cyprus can push the 27-nation bloc to decide at an upcoming December summit to punish Turkey for keeping its ports closed.

Talat continues as the Turkish Cypriot community’s representative in the talks for now, but he faces strong criticism for the lack of progress toward a solid agreement, both Eroğlu and Özgürgün told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview last week.

The right-wing National Unity Party or the UBP, headed by Eroğlu, which favors closer links with Turkey rather than EU membership, won 44 percent of the vote in April's parliamentary elections. That has left the Republican Turkish Party, or CTP, leader Talat with only 29 percent.
Presidential elections will be held in Turkish Cyprus in April 2010 and Talat is expected to have a difficult time seeking re-election if a positive result is not achieved by the end of this year.

Eroğlu said the negations have not gone well and things have come to a breaking point over the issue of “property acquisition.” Eroğlu is expected to run against Talat in the upcoming elections.

He said he believed the negotiations continued only due to international pressure. “To this date, many deals have been signed but not one has been implemented.”

Eroğlu said those who accepted the Annan Plan regretted it today. The Annan Plan was a U.N.-brokered plan accepted by the Turkish side but rejected by the Greek side in simultaneous referenda conducted in April 2004. Eroğlu said he conducted a survey concluding that only 15 percent of the population supports a federation. “Talat should consider the opinion of the people in the negotiations, not just his own. Sticking to conjuncture brought us where we are today.”

Eroğlu said many countries, including Kosovo, were recognized by the international community as independent states, and that Russia had recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which broke away from Georgia in 2008.

“They say there cannot be two separate governments in Cyprus. But it has happened already, there have been two separate governments on the island since 1974,” he said. “Travel between the Greek and the Turkish sides has started, too. Two separate governments can exist side by side.”

Troop withdrawal
Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün also supported the view that a deadlock has been reached in negotiations and developments are pointing toward a two-state solution, and therefore recognition of Turkish Cyprus by the international community.

“Cyprus is not a problem,” Özgürgün said. “It is just being imposed upon Turkey as one.”

The minister said the contentious issue is the withdrawal of Turkish soldiers from the island. “However, if Turkey says Cyprus is strategically important, then a detailed treaty must be signed – one that also protects the rights of Turkey.”

Özgürgün said it is impossible to reach an accord through the current talks. He said Turkish Cyprus wanted the continuation of Turkey’s role as a guarantor of security. He said the Greek Cypriots believe there is no need for further guarantees because Greek Cyprus is now a European Union member.

Özgürgün said most Greek Cypriots believe they were being invaded and that 250,000 Greeks should return to their former homes when the treaty is signed. “However, this means that 250,000 Turks would be losing their homes,” he said.

“If all the Greeks returned to the Turkish regions, then we would probably have to climb the Pentadaktylos Mountains and live there. No adjustment that would disrupt the bi-communality should be accepted. As of now, the Turkish side controls 36 percent of the island. Only minor border adjustments should be made.”

The Turkish Cypriot foreign minister said the Greek side maintains that each individual has property rights and that it advises individuals to petition to the European Court of Human Rights. Özgürgün said this would lead not to a solution but only further conflict.

No change with Papandreou
Özgürgün said the newly elected Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, would not change anything in terms of the Cyprus issue. “There is a general policy of Greece and Greek Cyprus in terms of the ‘Megalo’ idea. Cyprus was considered a Hellenistic island when the plan was formed in the 18th century. It does not matter if Karamanlis is gone or Papandreou has come – that policy does not change.”

Özgürgün said a similar situation was experienced when Christofias took over from Tassos Papadopoulos. “What changed when the uncompromising Papadopoulos left and the more agreeable Christofias arrived? It does not matter which politician is in power,” he said.

“The general Greek policy [for Cyprus] does not change. Some of us naively believe that it will. I would like to believe that, too. I am not a foreign minister who enjoys disputes, but I have to see the reality.”

© 2009 Hurriyet Daily News URL: www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=two-state-resolution-needed-in-cyprus-say-turkish-cypriots-2009-10-29

Turkish Cypriot foreign relations take major leap despite isolation

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Since Avcı was appointed as foreign minister and deputy prime minister 14 months ago, northern Cyprus has forged stronger relations with the world, especially with countries in the Middle East. In 2004 the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) referred to northern Cyprus as the “Turkish Cypriot state” in one of its resolutions. Since then, northern Cyprus has been participating in OIC meetings and hosted a visit by OIC officials in February 2007

Reeta ÇEVİKNICOSIA - Turkish Daily News

The European Union's approach to Cyprus – by maintaining the isolation of northern Cyprus and by closely following the Greek Cypriot line – is blocking the way to a solution of the Cyprus problem, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of northern Cyprus said.

“The EU has not kept the promises it made in 2004 after the majority of Greek Cypriots turned down the United Nations-sponsored peace plan. The isolation of northern Cyprus continues. The EU allows itself to be pressured by Greek Cypriots. Because of this, the EU is losing its credibility in the eyes of Turkish Cypriots. In fact, with this behavior, the EU is blocking the way to a solution,” Professor Dr. Turgay Avcı told the Turkish Daily News.

Lifting the embargo the only way:
As long as the EU persists in its current stance, there will be no solution to the Cyprus issue, Avcı said. “Greek Cypriots will not come to a just and equal solution as long as the EU continues its current approach. As long as the EU gives Greek Cypriots all its support, Greek Cypriots will demand to define Turks as a minority, which we will never accept. This is why the EU is the one blocking a solution,” Avcı said.

The only way for the EU to show support for a solution on the island is to lift the embargo on northern Cyprus and allow direct flights between northern Cyprus and EU member states. This will enable the northern Cypriot economy to grow freely, Avcı said. “These are the things the EU should do if it sincerely wants a solution in Cyprus. Only the EU's change in policy will push Greek Cypriots to a solution.”

Lack of knowledge ‘alarming':
Accepting Greek Cyprus as a member of the EU despite the Greek rejection of the Annan plan in April 2004 was a major mistake by the EU, said Avcı. “The Annan Plan was supported by the United States, the EU and the U.N. as well as the rest of the world. The EU told Turkish Cypriots that if we voted yes, the isolation of northern Cyprus would be lifted. Whilst we voted yes, Greek Cypriots rejected the plan. However, it is now us who are being pressured and the Greek Cypriots prized for their behavior,” Avcı said. “When you give one side everything and the other nothing, why should the one who has everything sit down and start sharing?” he asked.

In Avcı's view, the EU approach shows a fundamental and alarming lack of knowledge by many EU politicians. “Most EU parliamentarians who vote on issues relating to Cyprus are not familiar with the realities of Cyprus. Most of them only visit Greek Cyprus and think it is enough to comprehend the issues at stake. But this is not the case. As long as EU lawmakers close their eyes to the reality of both sides of the island, they will fail to comprehend the problem. With an approach like this, there can be no equality, and consequently, no solution,” he said.

The EU approach to land ownership:
Avcı also argued that the attitude of EU authorities toward land ownership on the island is discriminatory. To date, only some 30 million of the 258 million euros promised by the EU as financial aid to northern Cyprus has materialized. Avcı said the main reason for this is the insistence of EU authorities on land ownership issues in northern Cyprus. “The reason why much of the promised investments have not materialized is because EU authorities are always questioning what land the investment will take place on, saying they will have to ask the Greek Cypriot owners if they allow the investment. However, the same authorities are not interested if Greek Cyprus makes an investment on land that belongs to Turkish Cypriots such as the land of Larnaca Airport,” Avcı said.

If EU authorities were sincerely concerned about land ownership on the island, they would also ask Turkish Cypriots for their permission when using Larnaca Airport because the real owners of the land of the airport are Turkish Cypriots, Avcı said. “As long as EU authorities maintain this disparity in approach to issues of land ownership, they are not accepting Turkish Cypriots as equals. If EU authorities will not accept us as equals, Greek Cypriots will never do that either. And as long as we are not accepted as equals there will be no solution,” Avcı added.

Foreign relations take a leap:
Since Avcı was appointed as foreign minister and deputy prime minister 14 months ago, northern Cyprus has forged stronger relations with the world, especially with countries in the Middle East. In 2004 the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) referred to northern Cyprus as the “Turkish Cypriot state” in one of its resolutions. Since then, northern Cyprus has been participating in OIC meetings and hosted a visit by OIC officials in February 2007.
“The arrival of OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and his team, representing 57 member states of the OIC, to northern Cyprus through Ercan Airport in February was an important opening for us,” Avcı said.

In May, Avcı also participated in the 34th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad, Pakistan. At the conference, the OIC decided to strengthen bilateral relations between the OIC and northern Cyprus. The OIC has also decided to support northern Cyprus by organizing a tourism forum here in early 2008.

The most recent evidence of the closer ties between the OIC and northern Cyprus is the visit of president of the OIC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel, who flew directly from Dubai to northern Cyprus on his private jet in November.

Avcı noted that the Greek Cypriot administration has actively protested to the OIC secretariat and various Arab countries about their deepening cooperation with northern Cyprus. “Greek Cyprus is trying to prevent northern Cyprus from having relations with the outside world and convince the OIC and Arab countries not to have relations with us,” Avcı said.

Relations with Syria:
An important recent development was the opening of a ferry route from Famagusta to Latakia in Syria in late October. The sea route was revived after a hiatus of 30 years. “The [ferry] link is very important to northern Cyprus because it is not just a ferry but it is also a bridge between northern Cyprus and the Middle East,” Avcı said.

Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis voiced her opposition to the ferry run during her visit to Damascus in early November. “Greek Cypriots have protested against this boat connection on all possible levels. But the [ferry] link has not broken down, and I believe it never will,” Avcı said.

Italian support:
Northern Cyprus has also made major strides in Europe. In September, the deputy leader of the Italian Transnational Radical Party, Marco Perduca, and party deputy, Maurizio Turco, took up northern Cypriot nationality and provoked a discussion of the Cyprus issue among Italian politicians. By becoming citizens of the Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus, Perduca and Turco wanted to support the northern Cypriot state and to protest the EU's failure to keep the promises it made to Turkish Cypriots after the Greek Cyprus rejection of the EU-backed Annan Plan.

“Both Perduca and Turco visited northern Cyprus last summer. They were surprised to see a place full of development, technology, universities and infrastructure because they had thought that northern Cyprus is underdeveloped and full of military troops,” Avcı said. “During their visit Perduca and Turco gained an understanding of the reality of the Cyprus issue: The isolation and the unfair treatment of Turkish Cypriots.
On my trip to Italy in September, I gave them northern Cyprus citizenship and held a press conference inside the Italian parliament,” Avcı said. In Italy, Avcı met Emma Bonino, the Italian minister for international trade and European affairs, and Famiano Crucianelli, the undersecretary of foreign affairs. Avcı also gave a live interview on Italian state-run TV channel RAI. This cooperation culminated in the opening of a representative office of northern Cyprus in Rome late December. “I thank Italian authorities for accepting us and giving us the opportunity to talk. I call on other EU countries to do the same because a solution can be found only if both parties accept it,” Avcı said.

Network of representative offices to grow:
In 2008, northern Cyprus will open new representative offices abroad. In 2007, the northern Cypriot government opened representative offices in Rome and Doha, Qatar and received permission from the governments of Kuwait and Oman to open offices in Kuwait City and Muscat. “We expect to have representative offices in all countries in the future. This is feasible because we already have representative offices in Washington, New York, Brussels, London, Rome, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. No country should hesitate in this regard as we already have offices in the EU, the United States and OIC countries,” Avcı said.

Northern Cyprus is also making efforts to have its passport accepted at all international borders. “We can now travel with our passports to the United Kingdom and the United States, to France, to Azerbaijan, to Kyrgyzstan and to a number of Middle Eastern countries. Why not to other countries also?” Avcı said. “The countries that would open the door to us would not be the first.”
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