TURKEY’S signing of an EU customs union agreement with Cyprus, along with its caveat that signing did not constitute recognition of the Republic’s sovereignty over the whole of the island, has met with general approval by leaders in the north.
“This was what we expected. Turkey was never going to recognise the Cyprus Republic’s sovereignty over the entire island, and this has now been clearly stated,” Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said at the weekend prior to a three-day visit to Ankara starting yesterday.
“The important thing is what happens now. Turkey’s accession negotiations will start and with them will emerge problems. Maybe there will be crises, and we will need to be ready to face and overcome them. That is why we need to act in unison [with the Turkish government],” he added.
Reflecting the close political ties between the north and Turkey, Talat, along with deputy ‘prime minister’ and ‘foreign minister’ Serdar Denktash and two of Talat’s main political advisers, left for Ankara yesterday for meetings with Turkish president Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and military chief of staff Hilmi Ozkok. The visit is billed as an opportunity for Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders to exchange ideas on a common stance regarding Turkish EU accession and efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.
Speaking at the weekend, Talat applauded Turkey’s declaration that accompanied its signing of the customs union agreement by saying, “Turkey is not going to commit hara-kiri – not now or in the future”.
“Turkey has said it is ready to do all it can to solve the Cyprus problem. What more can it do?” Talat said, adding that it would be unrealistic for anyone to believe that Turkey would simply walk away from Cyprus in return for EU membership.
“We would never accept that anyway, even if Turkey wanted it,” he said.
Talat said he believed the Cyprus government should see Turkey’s signing as a positive move that would bring benefits for both communities on the island, but expressed pessimism on the likelihood of the Greek Cypriots taking reciprocal steps – such as lifting objections to the Turkish Cypriots trading directly with the EU through its own ports and airport.
“The consistent policy of the Greek Cypriots is gradually to erode the rights of the Turkish Cypriots,” he said, but added that the direct trade issue would continue to be brought up during Turkey’s accession process.
Serdar Denktash also praised what he described as Turkey’s “mature approach” in signing the protocol with Cyprus and called on the EU to take “the next historical step” by working to end the isolation or the north. He also called on the EU to apply pressure so that the ports in the north could be opened to free trade at the same time as Turkey opens its ports and airport to Greek Cypriot traffic.
“Prime minister’ Ferdi Sabit Soyer echoed Denktash’s call for the freeing up of Turkish Cypriot ports and suggested that the EU and Greek Cypriots look again at the offer made by Talat in Brussels two months ago for the handing over of the closed town of Varosha to the Greek Cypriot side in return for direct trade for the north.
Less pleased by the signing was National Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervish Eroglu who joined with mainland Turkish opposition party leaders to accuse the Turkish government of betraying Turkish Cypriots by seeking to normalise relations with the Republic of Cyprus. He believes that developing trade relations between the two counties will eventually lead to de facto legal and political recognition of Cyprus by Turkey – something he believes will force Turkish Cypriots into trading externally under the jurisdiction of the Greek Cypriots.
Eroglu added that the last hope for the Turkish Cypriots was that the protocol would be blocked by the Turkish parliament before it becomes law. Parliament is due to reconvene in early October, but analysts believe an extraordinary session could be called in September to ratify the protocol well before accession negotiations with the EU begin on October 3.
