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PRESS BULLETIN
Is a settlement really close in Cyprus?
UN and the EU are closely following the developments with interest. Nearly one million Turkish and Greek Cypriots are urgently requiring an answer to this question. Those who care about Turkey’s democratisation process and her to make it up with the international law are both anxious and disquiet. Everybody are asking the same question; “Are we really close to a settlement in Cyprus, as stated?”
Turkey is an effective and important party to the Cyprus problem. In Turkey, “Turkey – EU relations”, “Ergenekon affairs”, “Armenian problem”, “Energy pipe lines”, “Kurdish openings” and many more issues are connected to the Cyprus problem in one way or other. The increasing strategic importance of Turkey to the EU with regards to safer route to energy pipe lines is adding new dimensions to the process. The role attributed to Turkey within the crude oil reserves – USA – Turkey triangle is there as another important dynamic.
UN Secretary General, who is hosting the negotiations, is reiterating at every opportunity that “The solution should be found by the Cypriots themselves.”
“Is a settlement really close in Cyprus? “ For this, we have to look into whether the solution will really be “Cypriot” Two Cypriots are negotiating, but do Cypriots rights constitute their highest priority? Although the negotiations are carried under the auspices of the UN, and the accumulated UN resolutions are paving the way, the problem itself and the process have been Europeanized since the end of 1990s. During this period, Republic of Cyprus has become an EU member state, Turkey has began EU accession negotiations, Turkish Cypriots became EU citizens, but until a solution is reached, the application of the EU acquis is suspended in those areas of the Republic of Cyprus in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control.
The expanding and deepening of this Europeanization process, despite the contrary statements of the parties, is imposing some extra dynamics and criterions. Turkish Cypriots are trading within the Green Line Regulation, and are benefitting from EU’s financial resources. With the new identity provided by the EU, the Turkish Cypriots are accessing to some resources that were not possible before. Although it is not openly accepted, the European values are felt in Turkey just as in northern and southern parts of Cyprus and the local politics cannot succeed in terminating this process.
The EU keeps pushing forward pre-accession strategy and negotiations framework in front of Turkey. Within this context, EU is reminding Turkey at every opportunity that she is following up the Cyprus affair in line with the 21 September 2005 common declaration of the EU member states regarding the Republic of Cyprus and 11 December 2006 Council Conclusion. EU is demanding that Turkey “to normalise” her relations with the Republic of Cyprus without any discrimination, “to actively support the ongoing negotiations aimed at a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the four fundamental principles on which the Union is founded, including the right of EU citizens to settle and establish business and to take concrete steps to help bring about a climate favourable to such a comprehensive settlement.”
At first look, Turkey’s response to these demands might be seen as positive. Turkey is constantly repeating that Cyprus problem should be decoupled from its EU accession process and her active support to a comprehensive solution is continuing, and her relations with Cyprus is currently “normal” and a solution based on the UN parameters is necessary. This approach of Turkey is compatible with her policy shaped just before the 2004 referendums, “the need to be seen as the compromising side“.
If Turkey held her position at this point, it would have been possible to receive the message that “Cyprus problem would be solved soon”. But Turkey is putting forward new demands by using some “European terminology” in reflecting her own views on the possible Cyprus settlement. According to Turkey, the settlement to the Cyprus problem must become an EU primary law. In other words Turkey is hinting on a scenario that Republic of Cyprus shall be revoked and the “new” state will accede to the EU and that she will insist on this.
In addition; Turkey is also insisting on that “she should be given the same rights equal to Greece on Cyprus”, in other words, Turkey not being an EU member state ”Turkish citizens to be granted the EU’s four fundamental principles including the right to settle and establish business”. So that Turkey’s citizens, capital, goods and services will freely circulate all over Cyprus. (Pls. look; 47th meeting of the EC-Turkey Association Council - 19 May 2009).
Many questions come to mind at this stage, some of which are;
- Can Turkey be serious on these demands, or is she elevating her bargaining stakes?
- Does Turkey believe that it is possible that; the 27 member states will approve an achieved solution to be a primary EU law by revoking the membership of the Republic of Cyprus, and agree to the “new” state to become EU member?
- Does Turkey really believe that following a settlement where the EU acquis will be applicable all over Cyprus, Republic of Turkey and Turkish citizens will be granted the same rights that the EU member states and the citizens have?
- Is it possible for the Greek Cypriots, the other party to be of any settlement, and the EU institutions or any one EU member state, to bare with the social and economic complications that would be brought about by the Turkish emigrants, already in Cyprus, with the seventy million potential behind, but this time with equal rights to the EU citizens, should a solution be reached on the principles put forward by Turkey?
- Is the negotiator Mr.Talat, who says that he is hundred percent in line with Turkey with regards to the settlement model, in agreement with Turkey on these and is he putting Turkey’s said demands on the negotiation table as demands of the Turkish Cypriots, or is Turkey following another negotiation process?
- Are there other developments that we do not know about, to make us and others believe that constructive contribution is being made to an early comprehensive settlement by putting forward demands at the negotiating table that are not possible to secure politically, legally and practically?
At this point of time, when progress at the negotiation table is expressed and a referendum soon is said to be in our agenda, the public opinion needs to get the answers to these questions and to evaluate the answers.
Ali Erel
President - Cyprus EU Association