TURKISH and ‘TRNC’ flags decorated the north’s Kucuk Square at which yesterday’s celebration rally for the 27th anniversary of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) was held. Banners declaring ‘Nobody can separate the TRNC from Turkey’ and ‘TRNC forever’ also featured at the rally that was addressed by Dervis Eroglu and Turkey’s deputy prime minister Cemil Cicek.
The separatist tendencies of the Turkish side were evident at the rally, and there were references to them by the speakers. Cicek said that the Turkish Cypriots proved 27 years ago that they would not give up their right to self-determination and were determined to continue the struggle which had Turkey’s continued support. Eroglu said that the declaration of independence was the realisation of efforts to achieve ‘freedom and sovereignty’, which started in the 1950s.
At the same time, both paid lip service to the peace talks, Cicek insisting that the objective of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot regime was a settlement by the end of the year. This was a realistic objective if there was political will by both sides to break the deadlock. Eroglu, meanwhile, said Thursday’s meeting in New York could be a ‘turning point’ and expressed the wish the problems in the property issue would be overcome so there could be progress.
In the Republic students left their classrooms for the annual demonstrations against UDI, waving Greek flags and chanting anti-occupation slogans. The politicians offered words of condemnation, while the government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the celebrations for the illegal declaration of the pseudo-state, with the participation of Eroglu and the illegal presence of officials from Turkey showed that the Turkish side had no good will and could not convince that it wanted a settlement.
Is Stefanou sure this is the case or was he telling us what he believed we wanted to hear? He may be right that ultimately Turkey does not want a settlement, but the truth is that it has convinced the international community that it does. Even a hard-line supporter of partition like Eroglu has recognised that by showing commitment to the search for a settlement brings him closer to his objective. This was why at the celebration for establishment of the pseudo-state he was expressing hopes of a breakthrough in New York. This was why Cicek talked about a deal by the end of the year.
Contrast this to our side’s stance towards the New York meeting? We have set a series of conditions, which, if satisfied by the UN, would ensure against a breakthrough or progress. Have we convinced anyone that we want a settlement? Turkey may be bluffing and playing a communications game, she may have no interest in settlement, but we are helping her with our inflexible approach. We are making it easy for Turkey to achieve its objective, but have yet to realise it.
