The European Political Workings Committee (CEPS), the most experienced and authoritative think tanks operating in the European Union, has called on Finland which now holds the rotating term presidency of the European Union, to remove the

international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people.

The European Political Workings Committee, headquarters which is based in Brussels, in its report prepared for Finland, under the title of “Strategic Issues in a Wider Europe” evaluated Turkey’s EU membership process together with Cyprus issue.”

The report refers to the warnings by the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, that if Turkey does not open up its air and sea ports to South Cyprus it’s EU prospects is on a road to a ‘train wreck’, it states that the criterion put before Turkey which is an EU candidate country were reasonable conditions. But adds; “Turkey’s request to have the air and sea port embargoes lifted against the Turkish Cypriot people is also reasonable . The European Commission has also proposed the removal of the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, after the Annan Plan was accepted in the north but rejected in the South.”

It continues to state that “…EU has its obligations to the citizens of northern Cyprus, first of all their right to enjoy all the four freedoms that are at the heart of the EU’s legal order... as the Turkish Cypriot people supported the first and only internationally recognized solution plan for Cyprus, the Annan Plan, the Turkish Cypriot people can not be blamed for the division of the island anymore.”

Reminding that the Greek Cypriot people had voted against the plan during a democratic referendum the validity of the outcome could not be questioned, the report draws attention to the fact that the Greek Cypriot administration had also not shown any intentions to re-negotiate the Annan Plan and has in the meantime blocked Commission proposals to lift the sea port and air embargoes.

Estemed think thank CEPS warns the EU for not being taken in pledge by the Greek Cypriot Administration as follows:

“According to the Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn the EU’s accession negotiations with Turkey are heading for a “train wreck” unless Turkey has recognised the Republic of Cyprus and opened its ports to Greek Cypriot ships by the end of the year. These are in themselves reasonable conditions to put to the candidate state. However Turkey is also making a reasonable request, namely that the EU removes its present embargo on traffic through northern Cypriot sea harbours and airports. The Commission proposed removing this embargo after the Annan Plan was rejected, but Greek Cyprus vetoed it.

The citizens of northern Cyprus are (or can be) passport-holding citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, and therefore also citizens of the EU. As a result the EU has its obligations to the citizens of northern Cyprus, first of all their right to enjoy all the four freedoms that are at the heart of the EU’s legal order. Northern Cyprus cannot be blamed for the continued division of the island since they voted for the Annan Plan, which is the only internationally recognised formula for resolving the conflict. The Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan Plan in a democratic referendum, whose legitimacy has not been contested. However the government of the Republic of Cyprus has not been made clear how it would like to renegotiate the Annan Plan and has in the meantime blocked Commission proposals to lift the sea port and air embargoes.

The stakes are high: the future of Turkey’s relations with the EU, Turkey’s future political orientations and even stability, and the EU’s reputation for effective and equitable policymaking. The future on all these accounts is now held hostage to Greek Cyprus’s wish to renegotiate the Annan Plan according to its (so far unspecified) wishes. This is a counterproductive and unacceptable situation. Counterproductive, because in overplaying its hand Greek Cyprus will get no benefits for itself, yet achieve huge collateral damage to wider European interests. Unacceptable, because northern Cyprus is being punished after accepting the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriots, who did not.

What can be done? There are three alternatives.

The first and best in principle would be actually to get agreement to an amended version of the Annan Plan. The two presidents have agreed to meet to talk about this. But Greek Cypriot politics and discourse leaves little grounds for optimism, since the Greek Cypriot desire to revert to a much more strongly centralised federation would be unacceptable to the Turkish Cypriots, and fail in a referendum on their side.

The second is for the rest of the EU to apply pressure on Greek Cyprus to agree to cancel all EU restrictions on movements in and out of the ports and airports of northern Cyprus. But the difficulty here is that the 24 other EU members states are disinclined to have an open confrontation with a fellow member state, something which would be contrary to EU values.

The third approach would be to bypass and ignore the absurd legal blockage. A number of EU member states could open up bilateral channels of assistance to northern Cyprus. The legal blockade of northern Cypriot sea and air ports are pretty well ineffective in any case. There are presumably many ships registered in Panama, as well as from Turkey, that are happy to visit Famagusta port. The use of the port might be legalised with the aid of some special international status. Tourists from the EU can fly into northern Cyprus with a short stop in Istanbul. At some point the Greek Cypriot leadership may appreciate that their blocking tactics are counterproductive,

since in the meantime they will not have achieved any of the gains they could have

got (for example territorial) through the Annan Plan. The Turkish government could go along with this approach, recognise the Republic of Cyprus, and welcome Greek Cypriot ships.Turkey would gain goodwill and secure continuation of the accession negotiations. The Northern Cypriot side is for its part already proceeding with regularisation of the title and disposal of Greek properties in the North, which will progressively unwind an important problem in the status quo.”