By Esra Aygin
The rift between Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and
Ankara over the nature of a Cyprus settlement has escalated in recent weeks
with the two sides exchanging increasingly barbed messages in the media.
In a recent interview with the Greek Cypriot daily Politis,
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu laid bare his disagreement with
Akinci.
Describing federation as the Turkish Cypriot leader’s
“personal opinion” he stated that the Turkish Cypriot ruling coalition and
Turkish Cypriot people should also have a say on the issue.
Speaking to several Turkish media outlets during the past
week, Akinci, in a clear response to Cavusoglu, insisted that no realistic
alternative to a federal solution in Cyprus exists.
“At the end of the day, I am accountable to my community,”
said the Turkish Cypriot leader. “These people voted for me by 60 per cent to
lead this process.”
Since the failure of the Cyprus conference in Crans-Montana
in July 2017, there has been an evident divergence between Akinci, who is
standing his ground for a federal Cyprus, and Cavusoglu, who has been arguing
that other alternatives should also be discussed.
The relations between the two were badly damaged during
Cavusoglu’s visit to northern Cyprus last April, when Akinci told him that he
would rather resign than table any model of solution other than a federation.
Akinci’s public call on Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades to start
negotiations within the framework outlined by UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, shortly after this confrontation with Cavusoglu, served as the death
blow to their relations.
“Cavusoglu is clearly not happy with Akinci’s unfaltering
insistence on federation,” said professor Niyazi Kizilyurek of the University
of Cyprus. “But to downgrade the position of an elected leader to a ‘personal
opinion’ is politically and diplomatically very inappropriate and extremely
disrespectful. It is disrespectful of the leader and disrespectful of the
community.”
During the last round of negotiations in 2017, Akinci took a
number of bold steps despite Ankara’s objections, like increasing the
percentage of areas that would be subject to territorial adjustments and giving
maps before securing political equality, a source close to the issue said on
condition of anonymity. His argument was “that this is the final push for a
federation and we have to give it all we can.”
In fact, on the day talks collapsed in Crans-Montana, Akinci
stated that this was the last effort by his generation and it had been
unsuccessful.
“But then, he returned to Cyprus and continued to insist on
a federation,” the source said. “Ankara feels deceived.”
One exchange in the Turkish media last week is particularly
telling.
“Forgive me, but when I hear your name, I think of someone
fighting windmills… You are raising eyebrows at the Turkish foreign ministry,”
a reporter told the Turkish Cypriot leader.
Akinci responded: “Is there any other alternative to a
federal solution? If there is, I should also know about it. I get the exact
opposite message from the Greek Cypriot side… Wasting time by discussing the
impossible only maintains the status quo, which is to the disadvantage of
Turkish Cypriots.”
It has been revealed that Cavusoglu and Anastasiades have
met a number of times – first in Crans-Montana during the Cyprus Conference –
to discuss “a more relaxed federation and new ideas”, according to the Turkish
foreign minister’s statements to Politis.
And as Ankara distances itself from Akinci an evident accord
is growing between Turkish officials and Kudret Ozersay – the Turkish Cypriot
official responsible for foreign affairs. While his contact with Akinci has
been non-existent, Cavusoglu has met with Ozersay a number of times including
on the sidelines of the UN Assembly in New York in September. Despite an
understanding that the Turkish Cypriot ruling coalition would not express views
about the Cyprus problem and restrict itself to supporting Akinci, Ozersay has
been increasingly vocal on the issue.
“Unless the Greek Cypriot mentality that rejects
power-sharing changes, insisting on negotiations based on a federation would
only lead to the continuation of the status quo and further disappointments,”
Ozersay told the Turkish Cypriot news agency last week.
In a clear snub to Akinci, Ozersay added: “Saying ‘they are
not ready to share,’ and at the same time insisting on a federal solution that
is based on sharing does not seem like a consistent behaviour to me.”
Cavusoglu’s recent outburst has also encouraged other
Turkish Cypriot political parties and politicians, who are against a federal
solution in Cyprus.
“The failure of the Crans-Montana summit was not only the
collapse of a negotiation process but also the collapse of the concept of a
Federal Cyprus,” Serdar Denktas, the head of another coalition partner
Democratic Party DP, said during a TV programme last week.
“The five-party conference was the final stage of a 50-year
process… And it’s over. What else are we going to discuss? The period of trying
to do something jointly with the Greek Cypriots is over. We tried for 50 years
and it wasn’t possible. We have to look for a new way out.”
Ersin Tatar, the newly elected head of the main opposition
National Unity Party (UBP), joined in the discussion and told the media earlier
this week that his party is not bound by Akinci, but the policies developed
through consultations with Turkey.
“Mr Akinci may be the president. But the parliament should
not be bypassed,” said Tatar. “It is obvious that there cannot be a
power-sharing agreement in Cyprus. There has to be a new policy.”
Although there is a lot of talk about ‘alternatives’ there
has been no clear explanation of what they exactly are.
“Let’s look at the options that would be acceptable to the
world and the Greek Cypriot side,” Akinci said during one of his interviews
with the Turkish media. “We don’t want a unitary state and the Greek Cypriots,
who are not comfortable with political equality even in a federal solution, would
never accept a two-state solution.
“Let’s leave aside the negotiation table. Is there any
country that would accept us becoming a separate, sovereign state? Even
Azerbaijan does not recognise us. I can’t travel to Azerbaijan. So we go rounds
in circles and arrive at a federal solution again. I am saying that we need to
have one more try within the limits of logic, reason and the UN framework.”
But according to Kizilyurek, the silence of the federalist
parties – namely the Republican Turkish Party CTP and the Social Democracy Part
TDP – have added to Akinci’s isolation.
“Parties that have traditionally supported a federal
perspective, that have made federation their raison d’etre are not doing
anything,” said Kizilyurek. “They are
not in any kind of action or engagement for a federal solution. The most they
are doing is expressing hope.”
With Ankara and – apparently – Anastasiades placing
themselves outside the federal framework, and the Turkish Cypriot left
apparently passive, it remains to be seen whether Akinci will be able to follow
through with one more try for a federal Cyprus.
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