Letter
written by Osman Ertuð, TRNC Representative in Washington, to Washington
Times, published on November 4, 2002.
Friday’s letter (“Cyprus
and the EU”) shows how heavily the Greek Cypriot side relies on
international recognition in maintaining the illusion that there is only one
people, one government and one state on the island of Cyprus. Yet, in this
historic land, where myths and legends abound, the reality is otherwise.
The title of the “government of the Republic of the Cyprus,”
which the Greek Cypriots usurped by force of arms in 1963 after ousting
their Turish Cypriot partners from the 1960 agreement for the Republic of
Cyprus, is but a diplomatic fig leaf for the Greek Cypriot administration.
While it would take political courage and foresight to utter publicly that
“the emperor has no clothes,” several prominent personalities already
have attested to the fact that the Greek Cypriot side does not represent the
Turkish Cypriots or the whole of Cyprus and that there are two peoples, two
governments and two states on the island. For example, American diplomat
Richard Holbrooke stated on May 4, 1998: “I think it is very clear and no
one has disputed that (President) Glafcos Clerides does not represent or
have control over the people of Northern Cyprus.” Furthermore, Italian
Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini stated at a press conference on Aug. 26, 1997
that “there are two entities, there are two governments in Cyprus... and
therefore, if the European Union does not recognize this basic fact, in
conducting negotiations for membership, then you bump and run into the
problem.. that one of the parties would not accept negotiations going on
with only what, in effect, is the Greek Republic of Cyprus.”
The fact that the international community in general and the European
Union in particular have continued to grant diplomatic recognition to the
Greek Cypriot administration in spite of indisputable facts to the contrary
is a political act that has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the case or
the rule of law. Such legitimacy, in order to exist, has to have the Turkish
Cypriots on board. The European Union, by processing the unilateral
application of the Greek Cypriot administration for membership, has in fact
flouted the rule of law on Cyprus, namely the 1960 Agreements of Zurich and
London and, specifically, Article 1 of the Treaty of Guarantee, which states
that Cyprus “undertakes not to participate in whole or in part in any
political and economic union with any state whatsoever.”
If I were in the shoes of the Greek Cypriot officials who boast of
having the international community and the European Union on their side, I
would instead concentrate on winning the hearts and minds of the Turkish
Cypriots by recognizing their equal rights and status in a new partnership.
This is the way to reconciliation in Cyprus.
OSMAN ERTUG
Representative
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Washington
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Letters on Cyprus Issue 