AKEL: Turkey has ‘shown its true face’
By Constantine Markides
HOUSE Speaker and AKEL head Demetris Christofias said that in rejecting the Paris agreements, Turkey has shown its true occupational face and demonstrated that it is not interested in a solution but in strengthening the occupational status quo, according to state radio. But Turkey has not yet officially commented on the Paris agreements.
AKEL Spokesman Andros Kyprianou told the Sunday Mail that a mistake had been made in paraphrasing Christofias, since Turkey has not yet given an official position to the Paris agreements.
When asked when a response from Turkey was expected, Kyprianou said that he did “not think Turkey will make an official statement at this time.
“But in my opinion they [Turkey] are presently working behind the scenes with the help of the US to reverse the [Paris] Annan decision,” Kyprianou said.
Secretary-general Kofi Annan met with President Papadopoulos in Paris on Tuesday in an effort to kick-start talks between the two communities.
After the meeting Papadopoulos told reporters that it had been agreed at the meeting that Varosha, dimilitarisation and settlers were among the issues that the technical committees from both sides would address in confidence-building measures.
The announcement surprised and outraged the Turkish Cypriot leadership, which had assumed the measures would include everyday issues like waste management, water resource management and traffic congestion.
Government spokesman George Lillikas claimed that the government had not expected a negative reaction from the Turkish Cypriot leadership and was “disappointed” to see a “rejection of all that we discussed and agreed with the UN Secretary General in Paris”.
But the only evidence that can be cited to justify the government claim that the technical committees would be discussing the ‘big’ issues like the opening of Varosha, demilitarisation and the settlers is a paragraph in the joint communiqu? issued between Annan and Papadopoulos stating that any progress made in these areas would be “beneficial”:
“The Secretary-general and Mr Papadopoulos also agreed that it would be beneficial for all concerned, and would greatly improve the atmosphere for further talks, if progress could be achieved on further disengagement of forces and demilitarisation on the island, on the complete de-mining of Cyprus, and on the issue of Famagusta,” the statement said.
Turkey has not officially responded to the government’s claim that the technical committees must discuss these ‘big’ issues, but Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s comments on Friday night opposing EU changes to a financial aid regulation for Turkish Cypriots have prompted a wave of criticism from Cyprus Republic party heads.
The repeated condemnations of Gul’s statements about the aid regulation posited alongside references to the Paris agreements may have led to the mistaken perception that Turkey had officially rejected the Annan meeting.
“It is clear that the reason Turkey is bothered and exerting pressures is because - beyond the confidence-building measures - topics will also be discussed on the substance of the Cyprus problem, like the issue of a single economy, property, taxation, demilitarisation and the return of Famagusta,” Kyprianou said.
“To continue with the implementation of the Paris decision means that there has to be corresponding co-operation from the Turkish Cypriot side, and until now reactions unfortunately put the Turkish [Cypriot] side on a collision course with the UN.”
Kyprianou added that the goal was to find a solution that would “serve the interests of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots”.
“We don’t want to trick the Turkish Cypriots in any way whatsoever.”
It seems that those who are saying that Papa is doing nothing are mistaken. What are the thoughts on this report?
