THOUGH the public climate is certainly calmer, the run-up to Friday’s European Union Summit bears some resemblance to the days before the April 24 referendum, which saw the Annan plan rejected by the overwhelming majority of Greek Cypriots.
The trend is the same: the same parties and organised groups, who supported the rejection with religious fervour, this time say yes to Cyprus vetoing Turkey’s accession course to the EU.
Three single-seat parties – the Greens, New Horizons, ADIK – came out in bullish favour of a veto this week, while the United Democrats, said they were against such a move.
Of the big parties, DIKO and EDEK support the veto, while AKEL and DISY chose to sit on the fence.
And while people are used to AKEL sitting on the fence as they had done in the referendum, it had been expected that DISY would have a clearer position on the issue.
In his speech before the plenum during the budget debate, DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades said the next few days were “were without a doubt critical” and required the “maximum possible unity among the political leadership and society”.
The DISY chief added that the issue should be viewed calmly and responsibly, away from party politics.
DISY “will support the government’s objectives for immediate recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey,” Anastassiades said.
“We are stressing with special emphasis, the need for any decision in light of December 17 to be the product of serious analysis and consideration of all factors and developments; a product of a common decision between the governments of Nicosia and Athens, that would serve the interests of Cyprus.”
From the same platform, AKEL parliamentary spokesman Nicos Katsourides said his party was in favour of Turkey’s European aspirations.
He noted that it would be in favour of the Cypriot people and peace in the area if Turkey adjusted to European values and demands.
Concerning the veto, Katsourides said the island’s stance should be decided only by taking into consideration Cyprus’ broader interest at the present time and its future prospects.
“Our main aim would be to achieve a solution of the Cyprus problem based on principles,” Katsourides said.
He suggested that with intense and collective effort it was possible to succeed in Turkey not leaving the summit unscathed.
But DIKO deputy chairman Nicos Cleanthous was clear: If Turkey continued to be in intransigent and provocative, Cyprus should exercise its right to veto.
“By weighing the pros and cons, we should understand that in that case, if we don’t veto, we lose sight of the possibility of achieving a right solution to the Cyprus problem and of course the country’s prospects as an EU member would be ominous,” Cleanthous said.
He went a step further and linked the April 24 referendum with the island’s accession to the EU and the stance the government should take on December 17.
Cleanthous was echoed by EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou who said Cyprus was obliged to veto if Turkey did not change its stance.
“It would be an act of basic self-defence and self-respect,” Omirou said.
He added that the Greek Cypriot community had rejected the Annan plan, which would have turned Cyprus into a second-class state, permanently under Turkish hegemony.
At a news conference last week, New Horizons chairman Nicos Koutsou set three conditions in order for Cyprus not to veto: full recognition of the Republic, de-recognition of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state and Turkey lifting all the vetoes against Cyprus in international organisations.
“These should be done before December 17, 2004, or the veto should be exercised,” Koutsou said.
ADIK chairman Dinos Michaelides’ suggestions were more or less along the same lines.
Michaelides said the Cyprus government should declare a clear decision from now regarding the exercise of its right to veto on December 17, unless Turkey fulfilled the conditions before that date.
“Any other handling would reinforce Turkish aggressiveness and lead us to even bigger complications in the national issue,” Michaelides said.
Green Party deputy George Perdikis said he was concerned that the people’s fate depended on the details of the paragraphs of the EU’s decision about Turkey.
Thus even if it is unwanted, the possibility of vetoing Turkey should not be ruled out and the president should not hesitate to use it, Perdikis said.
Former House president Alexis Galanos suggested that Cyprus would be one step from partition if Turkey got a date for starting accession negotiations without committing to a withdrawal and without entering a procedure to solve the Cyprus problem.
“The message should have been clear for a long time that Turkey cannot advance to Europe unless it is committed to a course, which leads to its withdrawal from Cyprus,” Galanos said.
He said it should be clear that there was no issue of Cyprus being recognised by Turkey, but “it is Turkey, which should be recognised as a European country that follows the rules of behaviour and principles of the European Union”.
At the same time, the Citizens’ Movement, which took a leading role in the campaign to reject the Annan plan, announced that it was organising a gathering on Tuesday entitled “The veto is a choice.”
The EOKA Fighters’ Association issued an announcement suggesting that if Turkey forced Cyprus then there was no other choice than to use the right to veto.
“It is inconceivable to ask to be a member of the EU and at the same time threaten not to recognise those you are asking to accept you,” the Association said.
And while opinion polls show a steady high support for the veto, and with his own party openly suggesting there is no other choice, President Tassos Papadopoulos himself remains vague.
On Friday, he said he had not heard anyone in Europe talking about a veto, but about the conditions that should be imposed on Turkey.
Papadopoulos has gone on the record as far back as last year saying: “the veto is for the big countries and is more convincing if it comes from them”.
He has said that if Cyprus were to veto Turkey the occupied north would immediately be assimilated by Ankara and the island would be partitioned permanently.
“And all my life I fought against partition,” Papadopoulos said.
It is therefore a surprise to hear his party, and more specifically Cleanthous, so outspoken about the veto.
Presidential spokesman Marios Karoyian said all parties, including those in the government, were free to judge and that their views were respected.
Concerning DIKO, he said they went a step further possibly to reinforce the president’s position or to send a message that the public opinion felt strongly about the matter.
He did not rule out, however, the possibility of creating problems for the president.
