THE GOVERNMENT went on the offensive yesterday as pressure continued to mount over international moves to elevate the status of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north.
As President Tassos Papadopoulos met British High Commissioner Lyn Parker where the issue of EU measures to end Turkish Cypriot economic isolation were discussed, Foreign Minister George Iacovou issued a written statement calling on the world not to recognise the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ or facilitate or, in any way, assist “the aforesaid secessionist entity’.
Iacovou was responding to moves by Turkey to have the north recognised in the wake of Turkish Cypriot acceptance of the UN reunification plan, which Greek Cypriots rejected in the April 24 separate referenda.
Since then the international community has been making moves to assist the Turkish Cypriot economy, while Ankara has been calling for the recognition of the north. The US in particular is keen to express its appreciation of the Turkish Cypriot ‘yes’ vote, and although it has not said so officially, it is widely believed it has the ‘Taiwan model’ in mind where the north would be recognised in all but name.
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that he saw the Taiwan model as an intermediate measure. “It is better than our present situation,” he said but made it clear that recognition as a separate state was not the ultimate aim.
“I am for a solution and will continue to be for a solution but I cannot say this will go on indefinitely,” he said. “I think no one can expect Turkish Cypriots to go on begging indefinitely.”
Speaking on departure for Brussels for a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council yesterday, Iacovou said that already references to Cyprus in a draft resolution for next month’s Organisation of Islamic Conferences (OIC) were “unacceptable”
”The Secretary-general of the OIC has presented his own report on developments in Cyprus. The draft and its preamble include many references which we consider unacceptable,” Iacovou said.
In his written statement yesterday, in response to Ankara’s moves on behalf of the Turkish Cypriots, Iacovou said: ”It is with great regret and disappointment that we continue to witness the insistence of Turkey, a country aspiring to join the EU, on not recognising the Republic of Cyprus, a Member state of the Union.”
”Turkey constitutes a unique example of a country that aspires joining the EU, while maintaining an occupying military force in a member state,” he said.
”The fact that the Turkish Cypriots accepted the proposed Plan for a solution of the Cyprus problem…while the Greek Cypriots, following a democratic process, could not approve it, does not alter the fact that the division of the island is caused by the Turkish invasion and subsequent occupation, which still continues, of part of the island.”
Iacovou said the Greek Cypriots had not rejected the solution of the Cyprus problem but only the Annan plan. “The Government of the Republic of Cyprus remains firm and consistent with the objective of achieving a viable, functional, negotiated settlement of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, which will ensure security, progress and prosperity for all Cypriots,” he said.
The international community has made it clear that there would be no further negotiations on the Annan plan, although a second referendum on the plan has not been ruled out.
Yesterday’s visit by Parker to Papadopoulos was the first since before the referendum. No statements were made after the meeting but it is believed that developments since then were discussed, including the issue of EU moves to come up with a formula for direct trade with the north.
Britain has also altered its travel advisory on the north, removing its warning on overnight stays now that tourists are free to travel around the entire island. The change was made on May 7. In the past Britons were advised that although they could cross to the north they had to be back before midnight on the same day. “It was changed because the reference no longer applied,” an official at the British High Commission said yesterday. No new reference was included to the effect that Britons could stay there overnight.
