Turkish Cypriots appeal for legitimacy

The Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister has urged the EU to lift all embargos against the northern Cyprus by May 1 and start dealing directly with his administration.

“I now call on the EU to seize this opportunity and take the necessary steps to lift the political, economic and social embargoes by 1 May 2004,” Mehmet Ali Talat told a meeting of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

EU ambassadors will meet on Wednesday to discuss the status of northern Cyprus following the collapse of a UN peace plan that would have paved the way for a reunited island to join the EU this weekend.

Talat appealed to Brussels to start dealing directly with the Turkish Cypriot government which has up until now lacked international recognition.

By opposing the peace deal which was supported by the Turkish population, the Greek Cypriot government had reneged on its right to represent the entire island, he argued. 

EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen, also present at the meeting, said the European Commission wanted to send a “political signal” that the Turkish Cypriots would not be punished for failure of the UN plan.

Verheugen said that EU aid for northern Cyprus would be targeted at infrastructure, social and cultural projects.

“It is not possible for a package this size to be implemented by the UN as it has been in the past,” he said. 

But he acknowledged that the EU’s hands were tied by Greek Cypriot opposition to any moves that amounted to the recognition of the Turkish Cypriot government.

Verheugen said a European Commission representation would be opened in the Turkish north to try to get round the problem.

Referring to restrictions on the movement of people and goods on the island, he said while this amounted to an embargo, the EU was bound by judgements from the European Court of Justice on the issue.

The commission, he said, was looking for ways to “ensure that the Green Line does not represent division but that goods and people can cross the line.”

“This will ensure that last Saturday’s decision does not worsen the situation,” he said.

“What happened must lead us to bring the two communities together and try to keep them together.”

But while looking ahead to find the solution for the current situation, Verheugen rounded once again on certain sections of the Greek Cypriot community. 

Referring to “racist statements by leaders of the orthodox church,” he said this had “nothing to do with the Christian spirit but with a great deal of contempt for Turkish citizens, who are viewed as second-class.”

“We did not expect to be able to get a yes from the Greek Cypriot population in the end given the statements that were made,” he said, referring also to the Republic’s government.

The blame for the failure of the talks had been lack of trust “that Turkish Cyprus would stick to its side of the peace process.”

People had been afraid that “military power would sooner or later return to aggression on the island,” he said.

Around 70 per cent of voters cited at exit polls spoke of security fears over the continuing presence of Turkish troops on the island.

“I understand these feelings but they are no longer justified,” charged Verheugen.

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