halil wrote:repulsewarrior wrote:quite frankly halil, i find the article hopeful. if it brings Turkey closer to improving its stature in the world, it is because the rights of its citizens will have been improved as well. who knows, the dreams of the great ataturk may well be revived with the recognition of Turks not as an ethnic group but as a national collective. such efforts, as a recognition of cyprus are steps toward this path. it seems that the author is pleading however, as though the state is not of his opinion. as such this issue of "panic" seems a poor assumption and reflects badly on him.
same writer has written this interesting article today. it will bring another ways to arguments at near future.
Can Turkish Cypriots go for referendum on independence?
Anyhow, the Turks realized that holding on to the status quo does not pay off. So did the Greeks, with some delay. Papadopoulos, the architect of the failure of the last peace plan, was left out in the race for the presidency.
The Greeks are on the defensive now and likely to remain so if the Turkish side takes additional assertive steps. For example, if the Turkish government decides to seek the approval in Parliament of a protocol for a customs union to open its airports and harbors to Greek Cypriot vessels, the Greek Cypriot government will lose the most important leverage against Turkey in the EU context. Then the suspended eight negotiation chapters will be opened for accession negotiations, speeding up the integration of Turkey into the EU. The Greek side then could not afford any attempt to put pressure on Turkey via the EU, since it would further alienate them in Europe.
Furthermore, the Greek side has to deal with the possible impact of Kosovar independence on the Cyprus question. Since 2004, as everyone knows, the government of northern Cyprus has received increasing international visibility and even acquired some degree of recognition. After the independence of Kosovo many ask the question: why not northern Cyprus?
I think the Greek side is under tremendous pressure. Time is not on their side as they assumed it to be in 2004. There is in fact another move that the Turks on the island might make, which would certainly increase the anxiety of the Greeks.
What can the Greek Cypriot government do if the Turks on the island decide to hold a referendum on their future and ask if the Turkish Cypriots favor independence?
It is pretty clear that the outcome of such a referendum would be independence in the wake of disappointment with the Greek side in 2004 and disillusionment with the EU. Nor should we forget the growing self-confidence of the Turks in recent years. No longer expecting salvation through the EU, the Turks on the island have taken their own course of action to improve the standard of life on the island. The north is prospering.
Some may ask in what capacity the Turkish Cypriots would hold a referendum. The answer is in the same capacity they had in 2004. The 2004 referendum for the UN plan endorsed the Turkish side as a political and legal entity capable of deciding its own fate. In fact the 2004 referendum was an exercise of the right to self-determination. The right to determine its fate was exercised by the Turks in 2004; then they opted for a united state of the Turks and the Greeks. But this was not reciprocated by the Greeks. If the Turks make another decision now, this time for a divided island, they can do so. And such a decision will be as legitimate as the one of the 2004 referendum for a united island.
25.02.2008
Someone ought to remind this fool for a writer, that the North have already declared Independence in 1983, as ill advised as it may have been, or is he trying to take a "second bite" at the Apple again.??
As for any and all provisions in the 2004 Referendum is now and has been Null and Void since 2004.
One more thing that this fool is not recognising, and that is, by Kosovo declaring Independence has zero value to the "TRNC" and Turkey has so much stated that. Sure, one can have some distant fantasies that same might happen to them if it can happen elsewhere, but that is like saying, "if others can win the lottery, so can I". But of course you too can win the lottery. Just keep throwing your money away every week and fantasise what you will do with your winnings and then cross your fingers. To some, if dreams did not exists, then life would be very boring indeed.
Happy Dreams.!!
