Talat Cyprus to top Turkeys foreign policy agenda in 2010
Speaking to Today's Zaman before a visit to Ankara, Talat said that “the most serious” problem is the Cyprus problem and there should be no Cyprus problem left by the time Turkey is ready to join the European Union.
There is still hope of solving the long-standing problem because of the frequent talks scheduled between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders in the coming weeks.
Since September 2008, Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Talat have met 60 times under UN auspices to discuss a deal to reunify the island. The previous round of talks ended when the Greek Cypriots rejected a UN settlement plan in a 2004 referendum.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened after a coup by supporters of unification with Greece. The island joined the EU in 2004, but only Greek Cypriots enjoy the benefits of EU membership.
The current talks are likely to stall as well since there will be presidential elections in April and an election atmosphere will prevail soon in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC). There are concerns that such a mood might negatively affect talks with the Greek Cypriot side.
Talat has not yet clarified whether or not he will be a presidential contender, although he said he had made his decision about it. He added that he would share his decision with the public later because of the approaching intensified talks with the Greek side and their goal to make “serious progress” in that regard.
Talat faces a possible ousting by a hard-line opponent in the election. Christofias said the talks will continue with whoever is elected as the new Turkish Cypriot leader. Early in December, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu, who claims to be the strongest candidate in the 2010 elections, said peace talks with the Greek Cypriot side would continue if he is elected.
Asked whether he would seek Ankara’s support for his presidency, Talat said it was “out of the question” because it would hurt Turkey’s position regarding the island. But he said Turkey might have a preference for the presidency and that that would not mean interference in the affairs of the Turkish Cypriots.
“It is not possible for those who ignore Ankara to be elected president. [A Turkish Cypriot president] should be in harmony with Turkey. This is not a barrier set by Turkey. In the end the election will be by the Turkish Cypriots. But the Turkish Cypriots would not elect somebody who would not be in harmony with Turkey’s policy,” Talat said, and added: “If there is a change in the presidency, we don’t know if the talks with the Greek side will continue. That’s also a reality. But it is not correct to say that a change will end the negotiations. The new president should be in harmony with the norms of the United Nations and the European Union. Otherwise, there will be no progress, and talks might even come to a halt.”
Following a meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington in December, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he had asked the US administration to exert greater effort to press for a solution on the island by March of this year. The Turkish side says chances for a solution will decrease significantly following the presidential elections in Turkish Cyprus in April. Talat, who is pro-reunification, had said earlier that he would not run for re-election if there is no serious prospect of a settlement.
The meetings, scheduled for Jan. 11-13 and Jan. 25-27, will be held at a compound inside the UN-controlled buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south and the KKTC in the north, recognized only by Turkey.
Both leaders have been meeting for around three hours once or twice a week over the last 15 months but have achieved little progress.
Talat said he carries a big responsibility on his shoulders, and that’s why he carried on the talks. He added that the Turkish side’s “yes” to the Annan plan gave them a better image and that Turkey’s policy of searching for a solution helped greatly in that regard. However, he said that most of the difficulty was because of the south’s membership in the EU.
“EU is not neutral because Greeks both from Greece and Cyprus are members. So we don’t want the EU to be involved in the talks. It is unfortunate that the Greek side became a member before a solution was found,” he said.
Regarding the possibility of Turkey opening its ports to Greek Cyprus, Talat said it would be a bad move because the Greek side would perceive it as a gain without finding a real solution.
Under a customs agreement with the European Union, Turkey must extend its trade protocol to the 10 nations that joined the bloc in 2004, including Greek Cyprus. But Turkey does not recognize the Greek Cypriot government and refuses to open its ports to it unless the EU makes good on a promise to break the economic isolation of Turkish Cypriots.
Talat said the EU’s help has been limited on the Turkish side, as there has been 259 million euros in aid from the organization, but that the issue of “direct trade” has been ignored. He was referring to Turkey’s condition of having trade between the EU and the Turkish Cypriots before it opens its ports and airports to Greek Cyprus.
Moreover, clarifying a misperception, Talat said the Greek leadership is working toward informing its public about the talks. “It is not true that the Greek Cypriot people do not want a solution, but they are not ready for it yet,” he said.
09 January 2010, Saturday
TANJU ÖZKAYA / BİLAL ŞAHİN LEFKOŞA
09.01.2010
