THE GOVERNMENT yesterday dismissed reports in European media that the Greek Cypriot side was ready to back down on direct trade to the north as of January.
Reports in two German newspapers said the government would lift the blockade on Famagusta port and Tymbou airport in the north next month.
Using almost identical wording, both the Frankfurter Algemeine and the Sueddeutscher Zeitung both claimed that “resistance against direct trade and the EU-financial supports will be stopped by Nicosia in January, due to legal and political reasons”. The same story was repeated later in the day by the Euronews TV channel.
Although neither of the two papers, nor Euronews, made clear the exact source of the alleged Greek Cypriot turnaround, it is believed one or more participants at the EU Council meeting on Monday may have told a German journalist that the Greek Cypriot government could be forced to back down over the continued isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community in the north. The German government, which takes over the presidency of the EU in January, is believed to be keen to see an end to the north’s political isolation.
However government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis said there was “no such decision” on the part of the Greek Cypriot side. “We are ready to discuss the issue but we have well-known positions on this,” Pashiardis told the Cyprus Mail.
EU ministers, when they agreed on Monday to partially freeze Turkey’s accession course also agreed in principle to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, as they did first before accession in 2004.
But diplomats told Reuters in Brussels that arrangements would still have to be worked out under the German presidency in January, and the EU rejected any direct linkage with Turkey’s treaty obligations.
Questioned earlier yesterday at his daily press briefing, Pashiardis said the relevant EU regulation did not refer to any particular ports or airports through which trade would be taking place.
Under current EU regulations Turkish Cypriot produce is allowed to be shipped through the legal ports of the Cyprus Republic.
Pashiardis said: “Our side does not object to discussions. We are not against commercial activities of Turkish Cypriots when they are conducted through the legitimate procedures.”
Dutch Green and Chairman of the European Parliament’s Turkey delegation, Joost Lagendijk said yesterday that if the EU foreign ministers agreed to ending the isolation in January, Turkey would then be able to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic without objection.
“Turkey has stated from the beginning that it will open its harbours and airports to Greek Cyprus if the isolation of Turkish Cyprus is ended. If this is realised, then the suspension of negotiating ‘chapters’ is no longer relevant, so the accession process can continue,” Lagendijk said.
Turkey is obliged under the customs union protocol to open up to Greek Cypriot traffic without conditions. Ankara has tried to make the move conditional on acquiring direct trade for the north but this has been rejected by the EU.
EU Foreign Ministers on Monday froze eight of Turkey’s negotiating chapters relating to the protocol, and agreed to an annual review of the situation but set no deadline for Ankara to actually comply.
“We are not overjoyed with this outcome. But at the same time we do not underestimate its importance,” Pashiardis said. “It was not an easy outcome. The conclusions of the Council meet to a great extent the basic goals we had set.”
In the north there was cautious optimism over the outcome of Monday’s EU Council meeting.
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat expressed pleasure at statements by the Finnish EU presidency that efforts to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community would be redoubled in 2007.
“The foreign ministers repeated their determination to see the isolation lifted, and have stated they will seek this ‘without delay’,” Talat’s spokesman Hasan Ercakica said.
Ercakica said he believed the Greek Cypriot government got little out of Mondays’ EU meeting. “They asked for a date but didn’t get one,” he said.
Others conceded, however, that the EU Council’s decision on Turkey was not all good news for Turkish Cypriots.
“What makes this different from 2004?” said Rasid Pertev, chief advisor to the Turkish Cypriot leader. He believes that while Monday’s decision may spark debate in the EU little would change unless there is action to back the words.
Pertev said the EU “has to prove itself to Turkish Cypriots”.
“Turkey is being punished for supporting the Turkish Cypriots,” he added.
