Cyprus-Forum.com

[joe]

How Turkey can avoid a train crash
By Jean Christou

IF Turkey wants to avoid a train crash in its EU accession course, it should accept the Finnish proposal for the return of Varosha to the Greek Cypriots, Foreign Minister George Lillikas said yesterday.

“It is up to Turkey to ensure that the train will continue its important journey and remain on track. There still exists the option for a ‘win-win' situation. If Turkey accepts the Finnish ideas and the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants, then the upcoming crisis of its relations with the EU can be avoided this December,” Lillikas told the Turkish Daily News in an interview.

Lillikas flies to Finland this week to meet the Finnish EU presidency in Tampere in a last-ditch bid to reach an agreement on the Finnish compromise that would ease Turkey's accession course.

His Turkish counterpart Abdulla Gul is also travelling to Tanpere but there is no meeting scheduled between the two foreign ministers.

“Turkey may avoid a lose situation by demonstrating a spirit of compromise and a positive stance that could lead to a solution of the Cyprus problem in such a way that would serve the interests of Cyprus and its people: Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. This is the only way that will allow Turkey not to come across the Cyprus problem throughout its negotiating process,” Lillikas told TDN.

Although the news that the parties are going to Finland has been welcomed, few are optimistic for a deal. Late of Friday, Lillikas said: “I cannot tell you that I am especially optimistic because the messages we receive from various sources are not optimistic and are not positive on Turkey's behalf.”

Lillikas and Gul will meet their Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja on the sidelines of the EuroMed Foreign Ministers' Conference. Anatolia News Agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying Finland would continue talks with the parties in Cyprus over this weekend to "strengthen its hand" before the Finland contacts. It added, however, that they were not hopeful.

The situation was not made any easier following statements by Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Ankara did not consider itself bound to the EU’s December 6 deadline for Turkey to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic.

"Cyprus is a part of neither the Copenhagen nor Maastricht criteria," said Erdogan. "The Cyprus problem can only be discussed under the auspices of the UN.”

Lillikas told TDN it would be a “lose-lose situation” for all parties concerned if the EU decided to freeze or postpone accession negotiations with Turkey due to its failure to comply with the customs union protocol on opening its ports and airports to Cyprus.

“Failure of an enlargement effort is most definitely not in the interest either of the union and its member states or to the interest of the candidate country that fails to act in response to the obligations of the accession course,” Lillikas said.

[bg_turk]

Forget about Varosha. It can only be ceded as part of a comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the UN.

[Simon]

What has Cyprus got to do with you?

You're a Bulgarian Turk aren't you? Why don't you join a Bulgarian forum? And stop making pathetic comments, as if you have any authority regarding Varosha.

[Kifeas]

Forget about Varosha. It can only be ceded as part of a comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the UN.

Varosha is an illegally occupied city by Turkey, in violation of international law and in violation of its inhabitants human rights, who are deprived of their right to live in their homes and properties for 32 years. There are ECtHR judgments and specific UN SC resolutions calling for the ending of the city's illegal occupation and the re-instatement of its inhabitants’ fundamental human rights, and this fact has absolutely nothing to do with any political dispute or political solution. A country that violates international law and human rights has absolutely no hope of ever becoming an EU member or to even continue its accession process indefinitely.

The same holds true for the rest of the illegally occupied territories of the RoC and the subsequent continued for 32 years violation of the rest of the ethnically cleansed GC’s human rights. Turkey is an outlaw, and outlaws should have no place in the EU or in any other international forums or bodies.

[bg_turk]

Varosha is an illegally occupied city by Turkey, in violation of international law and in violation of its inhabitants human rights, who are deprived of their right to live in their homes and properties for 32 years.

But according to you so are the rest of the territories of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, so why do you focus only Varosha?

The same holds true for the rest of the illegally occupied territories of the RoC and the subsequent continued for 32 years violation of the rest of the ethnically cleansed GC’s human rights. Turkey is an outlaw, and outlaws should have no place in the EU or in any other international forums or bodies.

Yes, Turkey will get nothing for ceding Varosha - it will still be viewed as an illegal occupier. When Varosha is returned, you will the focus an Gozelyurt, Karpasia, and bit by bit dismantle the TRNC for every chapter Turkey is supposed to pass. It will therefore serve Turkish interests better to keep Varosha and let Greek Cypriots return under a Turkish administration , rather than giving up on the area completely. At least this will be consistent with the Turkish position that Cyprus Problem is a political problem that can only be resolved under the auspicies of the UN, and will alleviate the human rights situation on the island.

[Piratis]

Forget about Varosha. It can only be ceded as part of a comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the UN.

Forget about EU. Forget about making Turkey anything more than a 3rd world country. Forget the "trade" of TCs. And be ready to forget many other things as a consequence to your insistence on crimes and illegalities against us.

[bg_turk]

Forget about EU.

We have long time ago. The moment the "soft" islamic government of Erdogan sells out the TRNC over the no longer desirable EU membership, he and his ministers will be publically lynched on Taksim Square in Istanbul.

[Kartal_Aetos]

bg_turk is right....varosha can only be ceded as part of a comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the UN...whats so hard to understand?

GC's want it back...TCs dont want to give it back as it is a 'bargaining chip'...every negotiation is a give and take...if u want to take, u have to give...we will give varosha the day we can trade...Turkey has said this...TRNC has said this...but oh no...god forbid the day the church allows RoC to actually do something nice and well-mannered with the 'muslims'...god forbid the government does something nice and well-mannered with the turks for the sake of peace and freedom...

[Piratis]

Why don't you allow us to go back to our homes for the sake of peace and freedom?

You give us back our land and rights, you get yours. Thats the "give and take".

If you give just a bit, you will get just a bit. You want to give back land that represents something like 2% of what you illegally occupy, and as a return you want to get your biggest problem solved by 100%? Sorry, that not fair "give and take" and this is why it is rejected.

[Kartal_Aetos]

varosha is actually in terms of value worth much more than this...It was the single most important region of Cyprus before the war...

and unfortunately, our old rights are no longer of any good use to us as the GC community tried to take these away from us before in the form of 'amendments to the constitution'...now we must be guaranteed no such amendments are possible...believe me piratis, i would be the first one to jump back on to the 'old constitution acceptance' but i would also like their to be guarantees made that the old constitution will remain unchanged forever.