INCLUDING Turkish as an EU language could go a long way to creating a better atmosphere between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, according to Cem Ozdemir, one of the eight Members of the European Parliament (MEP) High Level Contact Group currently in north Cyprus on a fact-finding visit.
Ozdemir made the comments in a telephone conversion with a Turkish Cypriot journalist ahead of the two-day visit.
“It is not clear why Turkish is being blocked. The Cyprus government says it has no objection to Turkish but that the European Commission is not in favour,” Ozdemir said, adding that the German Greens had suggested tabling a proposal the language to be included.
Although Turkish is one of the official languages of the Cyprus Republic its inclusion as an EU language was not proposed by the Cypriot government when Cyprus applied for membership.
Despite his Turkish origins, the German Green MEP takes an notably balanced view on the Cyprus issue. He believes the Turkish Cypriot leadership also needs to take steps to bring Greek Cypriots closer to accepting a solution that involves power sharing. One of his suggestions is that the Turkish Cypriots drop their insistence that future negotiations be based on the Annan plan. Such insistence, he says is “unrealistic”.
“Steps need to be taken to coax Greek Cypriots away from extreme views,” Ozdemir said, pointing to what he sees as deep mistrust between the two communities.
“Both sides have to take steps towards reducing this mistrust,” he insisted.
But there were also steps, he said, that the Greek Cypriot side should take to end Turkish Cypriot feelings of victimisation, such as ending its obstruction to direct trade between the north and by allowing Turkish Cypriots representation in the EU.
Ozdemir also wishes to see progress on implementation of the Ankara protocol, which, when implemented, will allow Cypriot shipping and aircraft to use Turkish port and airports – something which Turkey has linked to the opening up to international shipping and flights to north Cyprus.
“When you look at it [the Ankara protocol] from a legal point of view it is very clear, but from a political point of view there are problems,” Ozdemir says.
The problems, Ozdemir believes, stem from domestic Turkish public opinion, which would not accept Turkey allowing Greek Cypriots to use its ports and airspace without, at the same time, lifting embargoes on Turkish Cypriot ports and airports.
“There are elections next year in Turkey, and it is believed Turkish public opinion would not accept such a thing. As the EU we have to be aware of this,” he said, adding: “We have to find pragmatic and creative ways of opening Turkish ports,” he said. He warned that less pragmatic alternatives could lead to a hardening of Turkey’s position, even by a government that strongly supports EU reforms and membership.
Ozdemir and the other seven MEPs, along with 24 of their advisors, will present the findings of their visit at a news conference to be held at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the UN-controlled buffer zone today.
