No Hope From Europe

On the Cyprus Problem or Issue unfortunately EU is not acting as per her founding principles.

Part II (items 61 to 144) of EU Constitution, agreed on December 2000 at Nice Summit, titled as  “Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union” is basically consisted of “Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidarity, Citizen’s Rights and Justice”.

As far as I lived and observed since late fifties, EU’s Justice always inclined towards the Greek side only. They even could not manage to act unbiased on the Cyprus Problem.

Among the existing 25, which I even do not take into consideration the Greek Cyprus and Greece, the British Government only tried very hard to treat both sides equal, the same.

The Turkish Cypriots are bored with the ongoing negotiations in Cyprus and that they cannot hold contacts with EU organs or high ranking European officials. Accordingly now trying to turn their axis towards the Middle East Countries and member countries of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

As a result of this change in foreign politics, the Speaker of the TRNC Parliament was received in Iran “on the basis of two states” only a month ago. Similar receipts, talks, relations and meetings will take place after July 1, definitely on the same level or even above.

July 1 seems like a very important date in Cyprus Issue and probably will be a turn point on the Cyprus’s Political History.

Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are pushing to finish negotiations on Cypriot reunification by July 1 when Greek Cyprus is set to take over the EU Presidency amid growing speculation that the United Nations will propose continued talks after the date.  

Turkish Cypriots believe that the negotiations during the six-month EU presidency of Greek Cyprus would be “meaningless,” since Greek Cyprus’s President Mr. Demetris Christofias would be preoccupied with EU matters.

It is obvious that if one side chooses not to turn up to the talks anymore, it would mean the collapse of the negotiations and will lead to an end definitely.  

On the other hand, the Secretary General and the UN should acknowledge the fact that federations have collapsed in the world as in ex-Yugoslavia and that insisting on federation in spite of the Greek Cypriot administration’s objections against federation model, would not yield any result.

Turkish Cypriots are not willing to sit down for the n.th round of negotiations which may last for a further 44 years with no results. I even forgot the number of the rounds since June 24, 1968, the date when the very first official negotiations held in Beirut, Lebanon by Rauf R. Denktaş and Glafkos Clerides both the presidents of the Communal Chambers of Turkish and Greek Cypriots respectively.

The UN should work on new strategies and disregard the Greek Cypriot Administration’s conditions or state of affairs.

The Turkish Cypriot side has been continuing the negotiations with the aim of achieving a just agreement despite the fact that the Greek Cypriot side has not been displaying the same good will. After 44 years of negotiations the Turkish Cypriot people now get tired to follow the resultless negotiations and wants to see their future henceforth.

It is the time and the biggest chance ever existed now for the EU to treat both sides of the island, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots equally without any discrimination.

If not, the Turkish Cypriots and the northern soil of the island, which was assumed to be the part of the European Union by “Protocol 10”, will slide away like live fish in a wet hand from EU.  

Prof. Dr. Ata ATUN

ata.atun@politikadergisi.com [2]