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Article written by Sadettin Topukçu, published in the Pakistan Observer at Pakistan on 11/05/04

Need for a new assesment of Cyprus issue:

The cyprus issue has been at the top of the agenda of the United Nations since 1963, the date which marked the emergence of the problem.The Cyprus problem emerged as a consequence of Greek Cypriot side’s aim to convert the island into a Greek Cypriot State by relegating the Turkish Cypriot people from a partner to a protected minority. In spite of the fact that the Greek Cypriot side expelled Turkish Cypriots from the partnership State, the international community continues to treat the Greek Cypriot side, through consecutive resolutions, as the "sole government of the whole Cyprus". Such a wrong approach by the international community has left the Cyprus issue unsettled up to now.

During the process of talks between the two sides, the UN Secretary General put forward a plan, which was followed by four revised versions. The main aim of the talks carried under the UNSG’s good offices mission is to enable the Turkish and Greek Cypriot parties to reach a comprehensive settlement and bring about a new State of affairs in Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriot party made utter effort to expedite the UNSG’s work by playing a very constructive role in the consecutive talks, the latest of which has taken place in March 2004 in Burgenstock, Switzerland.

As scheduled, the simultaneous and separate referanda were held on both parts of Cyprus on 24 April 2004. As expected, the goodwill shown by the Turkish Cypriot side at the negotiating table reflected to the polling box and majority of the Turkish Cypriot people, in exercise of their inherent right of self-determination, voted in favour of the UN Secretary General’s plan while Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected the plan by 76 per cent. The Greek Cypriot leadership’s obstructionist stance in the way of the settelement of the Cyprus issue and its rigid campaign against the Annan Plan has played a very influential role in the decisions of the Greek Cypriot people. As remembered, almost all Greek Cypriot political party leaders and Greek Cypriot leader Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos asked his people to say "NO" in the referandum. In consequence of Greek Cypriots "NO" vote, the Plan has become null and void in accordance with the concerned provisions of the Plan itself. The conducting of seperate simultaneous referanda in Cyprus underlines the fact that there are two sovereign peoples on the island and neither side represents the other.It has also come to the fore that it is no longer tenable that there is only one legitimate authority on the island.

Given the fact that only the Greek Cypriot side has entered the EU, it is allevident that the Greek Cypriot side has no legal, political of moral right to represent the Turkish Cypriot people or speak on behalf of them.The EU by enabling the unilatyeral membership of the Greek Cypriot side has imported a conflict into itself.

The results of the referanda have revealed that the Greek Cypriot side rejected to established a new partnership with the Turkish Cypriot side as its equal. What needs to be done now for the international community is to review its policy towards Cyprus and set a new approach under the newly emerged circumstances. The UN Security Council resolutions adopted so far, which have had negative impact on the settlement of the Cyprus issue must also be taken up and reassessed in the light of the new developments.

For 41 years, the Turkish Cypriot people have been living under inhuman embargoes covering all aspects of life.What makes this very interesting is that the lifting of embargoes have been made conditional to the settlement of the Cyprus issue. Since reaching an end to the Cyprus issue has not materialised due to Greek Cypriots’ negative vote the restrictive measures imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people should be lifted at once.The Greek Cypriot stance to squander numerous opportunities no longer be tolerated and the Turkish Cypriot people should not be left in the cold.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has adopted many resolutions on Cyprus, which, among other things, recognised the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people and urged the member States to help us overcome the, inhuman isolation by setting up relations in the fields of trade, tourism, culture, investment and so on. It is high time for the members of the OIC to translate these words into action as envisaged in the resolutions. We hope and trust that OIC countries would now show much needed solidarity with their Muslim Turkish Cypriot brethren.