Sir,
I would like to congratulate you on publishing the excellent article by Nick Pittas (‘Self-interest and the politics of the possible’, Sunday Mail, February 19) – truly, a breath of fresh air. If only one or two of our politicians would support his argument, then we could have a genuine political debate that would give Cypriots a real choice come election time.
I would like to add another element to the approach outlined by Mr Pittas, especially in view of recent events in the National Council.
We are led to believe that the government is continuing with its apparent strategy of seeking a “European solution” to the Cyprus problem, whereby Cyprus will use its membership of the EU to extract concessions from Turkey, as the latter continues with its own attempt to join the EU.
Two observations can be made immediately:
First, this strategy can only be long-term, as it will easily take at least 10 years before Turkey is anywhere near complying with the most important of the acquis communautaire – by which time there will have been 40 years or more of de facto partition of the island, and a second whole generation will have grown to adulthood without having had any experience of living in a unitary Republic of Cyprus.
Secondly, the strategy overestimates the EU’s capacity, or even willingness, to involve itself in an overtly political initiative to resolve the Cyprus problem. What the EU will do is pursue measures that lie within its remit, e.g. obliging Turkey to allow free access to its ports as part of the EU candidature process. What the EU as such will not do is compromise the sovereign right of Cyprus, a Member State, to conduct its own foreign policy – after all, the EU is not a federal state, nor is it showing any sign of becoming one any time soon.
Of course, a third observation that could be made is that other external actors may choose not to simply watch while Cyprus scores political points.
So in terms of a “solution” we are left with compliance by Turkey with obligations deriving from its candidature for the EU, and of course any such positive measures would be welcome. These may well be claimed by the Cypriot government as a political victory, but it will have done nothing towards bringing about an improvement in international and domestic political relations and the wide range of complex popular attitudes among Cypriots of all backgrounds – something that must necessarily form the foundation of a future settlement.
According to legend, Nero played his fiddle while Rome burned. Different times, same tune.
Charles Charalambous
Strovolos
