Nikitas wrote:Bananiot in his post above implies that Cyprus is not able to block Turkey's entry into the EU.
Well, it is not a goal of Cyprus EU policy to block Turkey. It has not used its veto once during the talks conerning Turkey's accession process. The EU itself in its periodic reviews of Turkey's progress notes whether that country has or has not met the standards set for accession. Failing to recognise the RoC is an example of failure to comply with EU standards and Cyprus has nothing to do with it directly.
Both Cyprus and Greece have stated publicly and often that it is in their interests to have Turkey turned into a fully europeanised nation that abides by EU laws.
So this idea of using the EU membership as a tool to coerce Turkey into conessions in Cyprus is baseless.
On the other hand, using EU membership to modify the BBF solution is an intelligent choice. The Annan plan contained a myriad details that clash with EU acquis and go against GC interests. It is arguable, and very reasonably so, that any new proposal will be based on the Annan plan. Yes, but not as it was, and most likely with many provisions changed to fit in with EU standards, and that is a plus for all Cypriots. The EU is now by definition a participant in the process and also by definition a majority participant as three out of the four entities involved (Cyprus, Greece, UK) are full members of the EU. Britain now will not be able to play its undermining role as it did in the past.
This is what Papadopoulos has achieved. On the other hand it may be a collective success, as decisions regarding the Cyprus issue in the south are collective and taken by the National Council in which all parties are members, indluding Mr Cleridis' party.
You really need to realize that the EU card will no solve your problems, the EU still bear a grudge for your rejection of the AP and entering the EU as a divided island with all the problems that entails and over the years they will learn about GC intrangience first hand. Papadop did not get you into the EU, he will go down in history as the leader that cried to get his people to reject the only plan that was put to the people.
Where as the EU gotten you over the past 3 years, nowhere they have passed the back to the UN, where you will find the AP that you have demonized as the basis for any future negotiaitons but even the UN are not interested in dealing with GCs who work on plans only to reject them and ridicule the UN.