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Letter
written by Sadettin Topukçu, TRNC Representative in Islamabad, to “Statesman”,
published on November 8, 2002.
With reference to the article entitled “New York Summit On Cyprus”
published on page 7 of the 21 October 2002 issue of your esteemed paper, I
would like to make the following clarifications for the sake of letting the
readers to get the correct version of events.
As the Turkish Cypriot party, we are committed to achieving a
reconciliation on the island, provided that the existence of two distinct
peoples and two independent States in Cyprus is acknowledged. We have
participated, in a constructive manner, in the negotiations held under
United Nations (UN) auspices since 1968. The sole reason of the failure of
the talks carried out since then is the unjust recognition of the Greek
Cypriot administration as the so-called “Government of the Republic of
Cyprus”. This administration, composed purely of Greek Cypriots, does not
represent the Turkish Cypriot people or the whole of the island. Owing to
this unfair advantage, the Greek Cypriot party lacks the incentive to settle
the issue and share power with the Turkish Cypriot people on the basis of
equality.
In this connection, I wish to recall the public statement made by the
Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Glafcos Clerides, at a press conference on 6
November 1997: “the Greek Cypriot side attends the talks for tactical
reasons, the tactic being to say ‘yes’ to whatever the Turkish Cypriot
side says ‘no’, thus we project Turkish Cypriots as intransigent and
this has been very successful so far”. I believe that this remark, which
was omitted in the said article, clearly demonstrates the lack of strong
will and political maturity on the part of Greek Cypriot party with respect
to a settlement.
Furthermore, it was not also mentioned in the said article that,
notwithstanding of the Greek Cypriot’s intransigent attitude, the
face-to-face talks, which is underway, started as a result of the initiative
taken by the Turkish Cypriot party.
It is very difficult to understand why the writer stated in his
article that “the Turkish Cypriot proposal of a confederation will not
help resolve the issue”. In its report of October-November 2000, the UN
itself is suggesting a constitutional divorce between Serbia and Kosova and
the establishment of a confederation between the sovereign Republics of
Serbia, Montenegro and Kosova. How then is it possible for our confederation
proposal to be ignored which aims at setting up a new partnership between
the two States of the island of Cyprus?
As to the case of the Cyprus issue, giving credit for the notion of
“reunification”, in the Greek terminology, means mending of the Turkish
Cypriot people to the all Greek Cypriot dominated government machinery. The
Turkish Cypriot party is willing to establish a new partnership with the
Greek Cypriot party; not domination.
In the article, the economic underdevelopment of the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus has been explained at great length. However, the
all-encompassing international embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot
people, which remain as the main hurdle on the way of its economic
development and which constitute one of the main impediments on the way of a
reconciliation, has been omitted in the article. The all-encompassing Greek
Cypriot embargoes range from denying the Turkish Cypriot people the right of
representation in international for a; to restricting travel abroad and
communication; curtailing the trade and tourism between Northern Cyprus and
the rest of the world and to even hampering all cultural relations of the
Turkish Cypriot people with other countries.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus authorities have repeatedly
stated that the Turkish Cypriot people will be left with no option other
than developing their existing relations with Turkey if the Greek Cypriot
administration is accepted as a member of the EU. However, the writer chose
to use the “annexation” terminology which is no more than a propaganda
material used by the Greek Cypriot administration.
Throughout their history, the Turkish Cypriot people, with the
unwavering support of Turkey, has always struggled for their sovereign
rights and dignity, which has cost them lives and sufferings, and never
given up their struggle against injustice for the sake of economic reasons.
The Turkish Cypriot people are fully aware of the fact that Motherland
Turkey always support their just cause and that its existence is the
cornerstone of their security concerns. How on earth a writer can say
developing the existing relations between TRNC and the Republic of Turkey
will even be difficult for TRNC people to accept. Such remarks are the
symptoms of the one-sided approach to the Cyprus issue.
Sadettin
Topukçu
Representative
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
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Letters on Cyprus Issue 