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Turkish FM rules out Cyprus recognition

 11/18/2004

ANKARA, Nov 18 (AFP) - Turkey does not intend to recognize European Union member Cyprus, despite veiled threats by Nicosia to veto Ankara's bid to join the bloc, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said in an interview published Thursday.

Gul also warned EU leaders, who will decide on December 17 whether to start accession talks with Turkey, that Ankara will reject any proposals other than full membership in the European bloc.

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos last week called for bilateral talks on issues that could hurt Turkey's EU bid -- namely its refusal to acknowledge the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government of the divided island.

Asked whether Ankara might recognize Papadopoulos' government, Gul told the conservative daily Zaman: "No, no. We have already done our part in a very courageous manner."

He was referring to an April referendum to resolve the 30-year division between Cyprus' Greek and Turkish communities, which would have resulted, among other things, in the withdrawal of most of the 30,000-odd Turkish troops stationed in the Turkish-populated north since 1974.

The referendum failed after the Greek Cypriots voted down a UN settlement plan to reunite the island before it joined the EU on May 1, while the Turkish Cypriots -- strongly encouraged by Ankara -- gave it overwhelming support.

The outcome ensured that the Greek Cypriots alone joined the EU as the internationally-recognized side of the island, leaving the breakaway Turkish Cypriots out in the cold and drawing criticism from Brussels.

EU member Greece, the Greek Cypriots' protecting power and Turkey's NATO partner and rival, said Ankara's refusal to recognize Cyprus was absurd.

"The non-recognition of an EU member by a candidate country is a political and institutional absurdity and this absurdity should be lifted," Greek foreign ministry spokesman Yiorgos Koumoutsakos told reporters in a comment on Gul's statement.

On a visit to Cyprus last week, Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said that Turkey's position posed "a problem".

Asked about suggestions that the EU might offer Turkey a special partnership status rather than full membership, Gul said such proposals would be rejected.

"For us, negotiations mean negotiations for full membership. No other alternative is possible for us," he told Zaman.

Turkey's opponents, who maintain that the vast Muslim-majority nation is not fit for EU membership, say Ankara should be given a special partnership status rather than full membership.



 

[brother]

 



Let Greek Cypriots veto Turkey!

Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos is playing a very interesting game. If you ask the Greek Cypriots, this is the greatest game of chess in the strategic arena for years. Diplomatic sources in Brussels say that the Greek Cypriot leader is involved in a very risky adventure he knows he cannot win. I say this: it is a game of aggressive thieves.

The problem at the heart of the matter is the fact that Greek Cypriots are demanding certain guarantees be implemented by Turkey of which they want listed in the Dec. 17 European Union summit declaration.

According to EU officials who briefed me on the issue, Greek Cypriots are not, in fact, against the start of negotiations with Turkey. What they want is for the EU to ask Turkey to implement certain policies during the negotiations and include these demands in the summit's decision. Among these are the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island and Turkey lifting certain restrictions imposed upon Greek Cyprus. A list of 15 such articles is doing the rounds in EU capitals.

If what I was told is true, Greek Cypriots are openly blackmailing the EU. They are threatening to veto the Dec. 17 summit decision if their demands are not met.

The Greek Cypriot leadership argues that they are forced to issue such demands because of its responsibilities towards its people. They say that if they fail to get solid assurances from the EU on issues such as official recognition by Turkey, such matters would be left until after the negotiations and they argue that it would be too late. If you put yourself in their shoes what they say makes some sense. They are saying: "Turks should understand that they will have to recognize Greek Cyprus during the negotiations and lift certain restrictions. If not, we will be forced to suspend negotiations."

Actually, Greek Cypriot requests are approved by some EU member states. This argument will provide another excuse to block the negotiations. That is why the dialogue between those EU countries appears to be trying to appease the Greek Cypriots and those who are angry with the temerity of the Greek Cypriots.

EU countries should not be so naive

If the Greek Cypriots succeed in including their demands in the EU summit declaration, this will mean the bankruptcy of the union's Cyprus policy and its replacement with a policy of blackmail.

Wasn't the EU itself to blame for the collapse of the Cyprus talks?

What was on the mind of the EU when it begun the negotiations with Greek Cypriots and made them full members?

They intended to force both sides to reach an agreement and accept the entire island as a full member. They had worked hard to create a united Cyprus. Greek Cypriots had told them from the very beginning that they wanted to become EU members together with Turkish Cypriots.

We all know the rest.

Turks accepted the EU's demands and voted in favor of a united Cyprus. Papadopoulos waged a campaign to refuse the EU's proposal and he took a stance against EU demands. Despite this, he utilized the agreements made earlier and made his country an EU member while the Turkish Cypriots, who trusted and believed in the EU, were omitted.

That was not all.

EU officials, the United Nations secretary-general and all the EU capitals accused the Greek Cypriots of deceiving them and declared that the north of the island could not remain isolated. They pledged to lift the embargoes on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

But they did nothing. Greek Cypriots were able to utilize legal measures to annul the EU's decisions. Turks were punished because they believed in and respected EU policies.

If that wasn't enough, the Greek Cypriots are now trying to bluff their way through getting more for what they already have.

Are they trying to test the EU's capacity to be victimized through blackmail or are they trying to win the support of some countries that are against Turkey. If there is one thing I do know: it is a fact that the Greek Cypriots are openly committing theft.

EU should force Greek Cypriots to use their veto

If the EU wants to prevent Turkey from becoming a member no matter what, it should by all means cave in to the Greek Cypriot blackmail because no Turkish government, especially the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), will accept an EU that adheres to all the Greek Cypriot wishes.

Alternatively, if the EU has even a semblance of common sense and desires to show the Greek Cypriots the true worth of their veto card, they should call Papadopoulos's bluff.