Cyprus-Forum.com

[Viewpoint]

This is a letter taken from Cyprus Mail 4/8/2005 sent in by Andrekos Varnava,
Department of History, University of Melbourne, Australia

Turkey’s refusal to recognise the Republic of Cyprus proves that Turkish policy is geared to the dissolution of the republic and the formation of a reunified government comprising Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
If a reunified Cyprus is the aim of the Papadopoulos government it would accordingly abandon its insistence to Turkish recognition of the Republic of Cyprus and declare its intention to reunify Cyprus under one federal government and admit that this will inevitably result in the dissolution of the Republic of Cyprus.
Accordingly, it is urged that the Papadopoulos government forthwith abandons its policy of pushing Turkey to recognise the Republic of Cyprus and earnestly begins negotiations to reunify the island.

Very interesting comments, as this issue heats up in the EU and as we move towards the 3rd October and the comments made by France and Germany, do you think they have your (GC) best interests at heart or they using the "RoC" for their own aims which is not allowing Turkey into EU. Where will the "RoC" be if Turkeys date is postponed and stalemate occurs, will she be willing to negotiate anything on the Cyprus issue??

[gabaston]

VP

A very valid point.

I could never really get my head around how eu allowed cyprus membership inlight of all ongoing humanrights disputes and with all its other problems.

one can take now take another view on cyprus's eu membership.
A leading anti-turk french campaigner cited "Turkey not geographically being in Europe" as a good enough reason not to allow turkish membership. That never stopped cyprus, if im not mistaken Turkey has more european land mass than cyprus, which has none.

the mind begins to wonder - good point VP

[erolz]

This whole 'Turkey must recognise the RoC (as is)' is as unacceptable as saying to TC that they must accept that GC and GC alone have the sole leagal and moral right to politicaly rule and control Cyprus.

This 'strategy' of insiting that Turkey recognise the RoC, independent of any settlement, is about as maximal a demand as can be made by GC to Turkey over the Cyprus.

Turkey knows this. TC know this. GC know this. And the EU knows this.

It is also (once again) a maximal GC demand that pushes us to the very brink of disaster, as far as realsitic chances of finding an agreed solution go. That precepice is that of Turkey 'turning its back on EU' - an event that will have severe repercussions for any chance of a fair and agreed settlement and thus all Cyrpiots and also long term repercussions on hundreds of millions of EU citizens not to mention tens of millions Turkish citizens as well. It was exactly this kind of approach of 'pushing to the edge of the precepice' in the persuit of GC maximal demands (and regardless of the huge and real dangers to Cypriots and others) that led to Cyprus 'falling over the edge' in 74.

It is a failed strategy that is once again the 'central plank' of the GC leadership and for what? To once again persue maximalist GC demands that have never been aceptable to TC or Turkey are against the consitution and against all natural justice.

People here talk of the goodwill being shown or not shown by the respective administrations. Well I put it to you that demanding that Turkey recognise the RoC as it exists today without any settlement or requirment for a settlement is the biggest and clearest sign of GC 'bad will' since 74 and possibly before.

[Turkey (( *]

Anyway I don't think the gov will accept the new condition under such pressure from formal leaders, coalition leader, the army and the majority of the public. So I don't think there is something to worry about...

[magikthrill]

Turkey not geographically being in Europe" as a good enough reason not to allow turkish membership. That never stopped cyprus, if im not mistaken Turkey has more european land mass than cyprus, which has none.

the mind begins to wonder - good point VP

you are right on this gabaston,

the only reason why Cyprus entered the EU is because of its hellenic population, ancestors of whom are considered the first european culture. had it only been occupied by ottoman descendants chances are cyprus would not been in the EU (and also it would not have been an independent country)

[Piratis]

Turkey’s refusal to recognise the Republic of Cyprus proves that Turkish policy is geared to the dissolution of the republic and the formation of a reunified government comprising Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

The turkish policy is the dissolution of RoC and the formation of 2 independent states in Cyprus.

This 'strategy' of insiting that Turkey recognise the RoC, independent of any settlement, is about as maximal a demand as can be made by GC to Turkey over the Cyprus.

Maximal demand??? I should remind you that our maximal demand was union with Greece and your maximal demand was partition. The creation of RoC was the compromise, and not our maximal demand. The fact is that it is you that insist on your maximal demands, and you want us to compromise on top of the compromise, in order to achieve something that is 99% of your maximal demand.

[erolz]

Maximal demand??? I should remind you that our maximal demand was union with Greece and your maximal demand was partition. The creation of RoC was the compromise, and not our maximal demand. The fact is that it is you that insist on your maximal demands, and you want us to compromise on top of the compromise, in order to achieve something that is 99% of your maximal demand.

The creation of the RoC as a partnership between the two communites as per the 60s agreements was the compromise. The demand that the sole GC run RoC, as it exists today, be recognised as the sole legitimate government of all of Cyprus and all Cypriots, despite the blatant unconsitutionality of this is a maximal demand. How can you expect any TC to see it as otherwise?

[Piratis]

Erolz, what we are asking is return to legality. If you refuse this, it is not our fault.
RoC as agreed in the 1960 is the compromise. Turkey should recognize this RoC, dissolve the illegal "TRNC" and allow TCs to participate in RoC as they should.
We demanded nothing maximal. What we demand is for the RoC compromise (which is the only legal thing) to be allowed to function as it should.

[Turanian]

Turkey not geographically being in Europe" as a good enough reason not to allow turkish membership. That never stopped cyprus, if im not mistaken Turkey has more european land mass than cyprus, which has none.

the mind begins to wonder - good point VP

you are right on this gabaston,

the only reason why Cyprus entered the EU is because of its hellenic population, ancestors of whom are considered the first european culture. had it only been occupied by ottoman descendants chances are cyprus would not been in the EU (and also it would not have been an independent country)

True enough...but Hungary, Estonia and Finland are EU members whose citizens are not of Indo-European origin.

Still, Magikthrill, you are right to say the reason the Southern Cypriot Administration was admitted into the European union was because of it's Hellenic population. This further highlights the insolence of the argument that 'Turkey isn't in Europe' as well as 'Turks aren't Europeans' skeptics use too often.

[Piratis]

the Southern Cypriot Administration was admitted into the European union

You wish.

What was admitted in the European Union was the Republic of Cyprus, the one and only country in Cyprus.

http://europa.eu.int/abc/european_count ... dex_en.htm