Letters On Cyprus Issue  

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Who Is Today On the Threshold Of A New Crisis Interested In Cyprus?

Project Syndicate  
By Rauf R. Denktaþ (Author is President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)

Cyprus is on the threshold of a new crisis, however, nobody cares since the world’s eyes concentrate on Usama bin Ladin and Taliban today. The lack of interest is dangerous because it might evoke a feeling – that is, afterall, relatively widespread among followers of Islam, namely that Muslims have always been treated unfairly, regardless from the extent to which their matter is justified.

In 1960, Turkish Cypriots together with their Greek partners co-founded the Republic of Cyprus. Greek Cypriots drove them away from the partnership 37 years ago. The Turkish Cypriots are at present facing another injustice, this time it is being prepared by the European Union that is contemplating to grant membership to the Greek part of Cyprus.

Agreements on the foundation of Cyprus of 1960 stipulate that the Greek Cypriot side will never assume exclusive power over the government. However, this is exactly what the Greek Cypriots did in 1963, thus violating the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. A civil war, invasion and division of Cyprus followed. Although the feud between the communities in the island has lasted for decades, now the EU itself is going to breach the basic agreements – by acknowledgement of and granting membership in the EU only to the Greek part of the island, the basic legal document of the Republic of Cyprus would cease to apply.

How come? At the time of its foundation, the Republic of Cyprus consisted of two-co-founding sides, the Greek and the Turkish community. Each community elected its own representatives. Thus a legitimate Cypriot government could exist ony if there were separately elected representatives of the two groups sitting side by side. One side is not entitled to represent the second one. In the same way, one side has no right to claim that it represents the legitimate government of the Republic of Cyprus.

The EU contemplates over membership of the Greek part of Cyprus based on an assumption that the Republic of Cyprus of 1960 still exists. All the involved but not well-informed sides – the USA, Great Britain and also EU at present – nourish the appearance that the bi-national, bi-religious and bi-lingual state, the Republic of Cyprus (that the Greek Cypriots destroyed), continues somehow to exist in the part of the island controlled by the Greek Cypriots. Non-acknowledgement of the fundamental violation of Cypriot agreements has been blocking reconciliation for a total of 37 years.

Glafkos Klerides, leader of the Greek Cypriots, wrote about plans to destroy the partnership with the aim to change it into the Greek Republic of Cyprus, in his memoirs My Desposition in the time of the division (already in 1963): “Just as the Greek Cypriot preoccupation was that Cyprus should be a Greek Cypriot State, with a protected Turkish Cypriot minority, the Turkish preoccupation was to defeat any such effort and maintain the partnership concept, which in their opinion the Zurich Agreement created between the two communities. The conflict, therefore, was a conflict of principle and for that principle both sides were prepared to go on arguing and even, if need be, to fight, rather than compromise... The same principle is still in conflict, even today...”

If the Greek Cypriot side will continue to be viewed as the only real “Cypriot government”, it will inevitably destroy any potential will to restore the partnership between the two communities. For an end to the division of Cyprus is not possible without adherence to the legal order, it means that both the former co-founders of the Republic of Cyprus have to be treated equally.

However, the EU processes the one-sided application of the Greek Cypriots to join the EU as a binding request of “Cyprus”, although the Turkish Cypriot co-founders of the republic protest against it. If the Greek Cypriot side continues to be supported in the efforts to be “the only legitimate government of Cyprus”, the gap between the two communities can only deepen. The EU closes its eyes in front of our basic constitutional principle, according to which Cyprus should be governed together by both of the national communities. Moreover, European officials added fuel to the flames by saying that the Turkish Cypriots had no right to veto the request of the Greek Cypriots.

The EU perhaps does not realize the significance of its deeds, but the Greek Cypriots know what they are doing. The Greek Cypriots say openly that their request to join the EU is a way how to achieve unification with Greece. “In 1955-59 we had a vision: unification with Greece. Today... entering the future with courageous mind, we attach a new meaning to the Cypriot Hellenism: link to/unification with Europe and, at the same time, with Greece.” Greek Cypriot “Haravgi” daily quoted on 10 April of this year Nikos Anastasiades, chairman of the governing DISI party in the island’s south part, which is controlled by Greek Cypriots.

This is the EU’s dilemma: will they ignore the partnership agreement of 1960, based on which the Republic of Cyprus was founded and according to which sovereign commitments, as for example accession to the EU without the consent of the Turkish Cypriots are unconstitutional? Will the European Union realize that ignorance of the fact will destroy the balance of the international agreements of 1960 (signed by Turkey, Turkish Cypriots, Greece, Greek Cypriots and Great Britain) based on which a republic was founded in the island, and that such a breach might again endanger peace and stability in the region.

If the EU accepts Greece as its member, the outcome will be an indirect link with Greece. However, the Turkish Cypriots will not submit to the injustice. Moreover, Turkey will also not reconcile to the humiliation. “Our reaction will not be stopped by anything,” said Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem.

The EU should pursue the legal order instead of evoking risks and sprinkle salt on the wound of injured pride of the Islam world. The EU can not consider the request of the Greek Cypriots as a request of the whole Republic of Cyprus. It should help Northern Cyprus to fulfill the economic criteria for entry to the EU and synchronize the entry of the Cypriot confederation, that means Cyprus as whole to the EU, together with Turkey. Cyprus’ accession to the EU might be delayed due to this, however, it will be definitely better than chaos that/the European union/would cause by its attitude not only in the island but all over the eastern Mediterranean.