Turkish Cypriots feel sidelined (The Cyprus Weekly, 18 March 2016)

By Esra Aygin

The ongoing dialogue between Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union regarding the migration deal has led to concerns in the northern part of Cyprus that Turkish Cypriots are being sidelined.

A conversation between Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Pre-sident Nicos Anastasiades during last-week’s EU-Turkey migration summit in Brussels prompted Turkish Cypriot media to report a “secret” meeting between the two, adding fuel to the fire.

“Is (Mustafa) Akinci being bypassed?” asked journalist Sami Ozuslu in his column in daily Yeniduzen.

“The increasing dialogue between Turkey and South Nicosia – even if ‘informal’ – is putting Turkish Cypriots, and the elected leader who represents them, in a difficult position,” Ozuslu wrote.

“As a person who believes that such contacts have more benefits than harm, even I don’t approve of the fact that the elected leader of Turkish Cypriots is being sidelined.

“Real peace on this island will only be achieved through the active participation of the two communities. I don’t know whether Akinci has asked for an explanation from Ankara, but…Turkish Cypriots are being bypassed.”

The EU wants a deal with Turkey to stem the flow of migrants in the continent’s worst refugee crisis since WWII.

EU leaders have been involved in shuttle diplomacy between Turkey and Cyprus to overcome the deadlock.

The concern of some in the north is that the interests of Turkish Cypriots may be compromised in negotiations between Turkey, Cyprus and the EU, amidst the urgency and severity of the big picture.

Baris Burcu, spokesperson for Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, said that the dialogue between Turkey and the south is merely about the Greek Cypriot veto on the opening of certain chapters in the Turkey-EU accession negotiations, and does not concern the Cyprus problem.

“We know there are contacts in this regard, and we see these as natural,” Burcu added.

Former Turkish Cypriot chief negotiator and leader of the newly established People’s Party Kudret Ozersay said Burcu’s statements were a “confession” that the Turkish Cypriot side is being bypassed.

A senior Turkish Cypriot official speaking on condition of anonymity however said such concerns were “exaggerated”.

“There are no secret meetings between Turkey and Greek Cypriots,” the official said.

“We are being notified of every single meeting and contact. We are aware of every step Turkey intends to take. We are not being sidelined.”

http://in-cyprus.com/turkish-cypriots/

Artice - Can an authoritarian Turkey help Cyprus? (Published in Greek in 24h newspaper in March 2014)

Can an authoritarian Turkey help Cyprus?

I remember my eyes welling up with tears, as I watched Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan walk among the crowd at the Ledra Palace crossing point in early May 2003[*], and greet the Greek Cypriots, who had just crossed over to visit the north for the first time in almost 30 years.

The charismatic leader, who had shattered decades-old taboos about Cyprus, was chatting with the Greek Cypriots and telling them that he desires to see peace in Cyprus as soon as possible.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won a landslide victory in the 2002 elections, was the first party ever in Turkey to declare that the status-quo in Cyprus is unacceptable and vowed to work for a federal solution. The Turkish establishment had for decades insisted that “non-solution in Cyprus is the solution itself.”

In 2004, AKP strongly threw its support behind the Annan Plan. Whether we like it or not, whether we think it was sincere or not, AKP played a big role in getting the people in the northern part of Cyprus vote in favour of the Annan Plan. In the years that followed, the party officials continuously stated that the Turkish side would be one step ahead as regards the solution of the Cyprus problem.

More recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s role in the finalisation and acceptance of the joint statement is common knowledge. He personally came to the island to ‘convince’ Turkish Cypriot leader Derviş Eroğlu to accept the joint statement, which lay out the framework of a solution in Cyprus.

On Wednesday April 2, Davutoğlu, on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels reiterated support for a solution. “We want the negotiations to speed up,” said Davutoğlu. “The momentum is very positive. However it is important that this process is results-oriented.”

I am in no way trying to praise the AKP or defend it. I am just laying down the facts. In fact, I am watching in pure amazement as Erdoğan, who initially gained great internal and international support by wowing equality, making human rights reforms, significantly reducing the Turkish military’s role in politics, and initiating a negotiations process with the Kurds, besides supporting a solution in Cyprus, has gradually turned into an authoritarian figure with no respect for rights and freedoms. He silenced the media, favoured police violence on various occasions, banned Twitter and You Tube, passed a law that gives the government more control over the courts, and is involved in corruption allegations.

So, the question is, how can an increasingly authoritarian and intolerant regime, which is much more than a neighbour to Cyprus, contribute to a federal solution in Cyprus? Or can it?

Many pro-solution Turkish Cypriot officials as well as foreign officials and diplomats are assured that Turkey, under the rule of Erdoğan, will continue to sincerely support and seek a solution in Cyprus.

The question remains to be answered…

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[*] The Turkish Cypriot regime lifted a nearly 30-year ban on crossings in April 2003 and eased travel restrictions across the dividing line.