INCREASED pressure needs to be applied on politicians to end the discrimination against and isolation of Turkish Cypriots, MEPs on a two-day visit to the north concluded yesterday.
“We need to name and shame these politicians,” Karin Resetarits, one of the eight members of the European Parliament’s High Level Contact Group assigned with forging links between the European Parliament and the Turkish Cypriot north said yesterday.
The eight MEPs were speaking at a news conference staged at the Ledra Palace Hotel marking the end of the two-day visit.
Clearly angered by what she had seen in the north, Resetarits said, “I became a politician to fight against discrimination, and Turkish Cypriots are discriminated against.”
“It is not their [Turkish Cypriots] fault the acquis communautaire was not implemented. They voted for it,” she added, referring to the Turkish Cypriots community’s ‘yes’ vote to the Annan plan in 2004, which, if it had been approved also by the Greek Cypriots, would have given the community full membership of the EU.
But Resetarits seemed most angered by the fact educational establishments in the north were not recognised by the international community, prompting her to say: “It is not fair at all that their basic human right to education is not implemented. Their education is considered illegal; their knowledge is considered illegal. Tell me one reason why these children are isolated from education.”
Others among the group also targeted politicians on the island for failing to bring the two communities closer together since the relaxing of crossing restrictions more than three years ago.
Cem Ozdemir, a German MEP of Turkish origin, said he found it saddening that the leaders of the two communities were still yet to meet. Such a situation, he said, did not help to establish trust between common Cypriots. He called on the Greek Cypriot side “as the majority” to make a positive gesture by applying for Turkish to be included as one of the official languages of the EU – something he said would meet with no objection from within the EU.
The overall message from the group was that although isolation probably could not be lifted completely until reunification, measures could be taken in the meantime to alleviate some of its negative effects.
“We have noticed the difficulties Turkish Cypriots experience and that these difficulties are due to the fact that the north does not have legal recognition,” group co-ordinator Fran?oise Grossete told the conference, adding that it would do all it could to promote greater co-operation between the two communities.
Although few hints were given as to what concrete measures the EU could or would take on Cyprus to reduce the effects of isolation in the north, the group did say it was fully in favour of direct trade between the north and the EU – something the Greek Cypriot side has consistently blocked – and helping boost economic activity for small and medium sized business enterprises (SMEs). Reference was made to the unblocking 120 million euros of EU aid, which had been feared lost because agreement on its release had not been reached before the end of 2005. The group also confirmed that the European Commission would be opening an office to oversee distribution of the aid somewhere in north Nicosia later this year.
