Akinci urged to give back territory

October 9, 2016

By Esra Aygin

As it becomes almost certain that Cypriot leaders Mustafa Akinci and Nicos Anastasiades will be going abroad in November to discuss territory, the issue is a widely-debated topic among the Turkish Cypriots.

Akinci and Anastasiades will be meeting a total of 10 times until October 31, with the aim of overcoming the remaining difficulties in the chapters of governance and power-sharing, economy, EU Affairs and property.
If everything goes according to plan, the sides will take the talks to a third country to discuss territory.

The Turkish Cypriot side, fearing media leaks and disinformation if the issue is discussed on the island, requested a third-country venue.

This would both reduce the time required to finalise a deal and minimise the risk of speculation about places to be given to a future Greek Cypriot constituent state, it argued.

The sides have so far limited the discussion on territory to criteria, without putting village names, figures or maps on the table.

The official Turkish Cypriot position so far has been that territorial adjustments should be kept at a minimum since the European nature of the settlement would enable all citizens to reside freely anywhere on the island.

Some Turkish Cypriots agree that the issue of territory must now be considered in the much broader context of a modern European country, where the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot constituent states will be more of administrative entities rather than clear-cut borders.

Others, however, argue that a fair formula is for the Turkish Cypriot side to get political equality and share in the governance and give territory in return.

Niyazi Kizilyurek, dean of the School of Humanities of the University of Cyprus, says that Cyprus negotiations have been based on the formula of “political equality and power-sharing in exchange for territory” since 1975.
He warned that failing to meet the expectations of the Greek Cypriot side under the territory chapter would endanger a solution.

“A solution requires you to give what you have in excess and take what you are lacking,” said International Relations Professor Ahmet Sozen.

“The Turkish Cypriot side’s hand is strong in terms of property and territory, whereas the Greek Cypriot side’s hand is strong in terms of governance and power.”

Turkish Cypriot non-governmental organisations called on the Turkish Cypriot leadership to make the necessary concessions in territory and properties for the sake of a federal solution in Cyprus.

“We would like to remind the Greek Cypriot side that political equality and rotational presidency are very important for Turkish Cypriots. We would also like to remind the Turkish Cypriot side that territory and properties are very important for the Greek Cypriots.”

Akinci must walk a very fine line between trying to secure solution support from the Turkish Cypriot right wing, which is very sensitive about territorial adjustments, while not alienating the Greek Cypriot side, which brands territory as a ‘make or break’ for negotiations.

http://in-cyprus.com/akinci-urged-to-give-back-territory/

Breakthrough agreement in territory

NO FORCED EVACUATIONS: The Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides have a mutual understand on not forcing anyone out of the areas to be subjected to territorial adjustments

SPECIAL PROVISIONS: Special provisions will be implemented to allow Turkish Cypriots to continue living in areas to be returned to the Greek Cypriot constituent state, while making it possible for the Greek Cypriots, who had lived in those areas pre-1974, to return.

SPECIAL RIGHTS: Greek Cypriots, who will be living in the Turkish Cypriot constituent state, and Turkish Cypriots, who will be living in the Greek Cypriot constituent state, will have special rights and privileges on educational, cultural, religious and political issues.

Esra Aygin

Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides, which have started discussing the territory chapter, have already established a mutual understanding on not forcing anyone out of the areas to be subjected to territorial adjustments.

According to sources close to the negotiations, certain formulas are being discussed that would allow Turkish Cypriots to remain in the areas that may be returned to the Greek Cypriot constituent state, and at the same time, allow Greek Cypriots, who were living in those areas pre-1974, to return.

“Just like there is a right to live wherever they want, there is a right for individuals to remain wherever they want,” the source said. “It is unthinkable to force people in masses out of the areas that will be subjected to territorial adjustments.”

According to the same source, the sides have also agreed on creating ‘special status areas’ for Greek Cypriots living under Turkish Cypriot constituent state’s authority and for Turkish Cypriots living under the Greek Cypriot constituent state’s authority. In practice, special status areas mean that Turkish Cypriots, who choose to continue living in areas returned to the Greek Cypriot constituent state, and Greek Cypriots, who choose to return to areas in the Turkish Cypriot constituent state – in other words, who will be a minority in that constituent state, – will have special rights and privileges in educational, cultural, religious and political issues.

A survey on “Current Views of Displaced Persons on Return and Property Restitution” conducted among 1,605 Greek Cypriots on 29 February – 22 March 2016, found that only one fifth of Greek Cypriot refugees (or their children) want to return to their property under the Turkish Cypriot constituent state. In the case of their property being in the areas to be returned to the Greek Cypriot constituent state, the rate is one third.

The research was conducted by Djordje Stefanovic (Canada Saint Mary’s University), Charis Psaltis (Cyprus University) and Neophytos Loizides (University of Kent).

World steps in to save talks

Esra Aygin

The international community is pulling out all the stops to save the Cyprus negotiations, with high profile visitors from the UK and elsewhere expected in the coming days. 

Major international actors from the UN to the EU and the US, have already made moves this week to restore momentum and encourage Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades to get back to the table.

The two leaders have taken calls from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US Vice President Joe Biden encouraging them to continue their efforts. The Republic of Cyprus government spokesman announced calls to Anastasiades from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council, European Commission ad European Parliament, to name a few. 

UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor in Cyprus Espen Barth Eide is due to arrive in Cyprus on Sunday to meet with the two leaders separately and to try and arrange a get together to decide on how to continue the process.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited the island on Friday for consultations with Akinci, while UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is scheduled to visit Cyprus early next week. Other high-profile officials are also understood to be planning a visit to revive the momentum. 

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a written statement on Wednesday expressing "disappointment" and calling on the leaders to continue their efforts in line with their earlier shared commitment to do their utmost in order to reach a settlement in 2016. 

“The disagreement between the sides is not over substance, but over sequencing and modality,” a diplomatic source told the Cyprus Weekly. “In a process that run relatively smoothly without any serious crises in the past 18 months, such setbacks are normal in the most difficult final stages.”

Fear of blame game

Ban also urged all parties “to avoid any statements and actions that would make the resumption of talks more difficult.” 

Certain statements especially by Akinci’s spokesperson Baris Burcu have raised concern that they could hurt public sentiment and derail the process. Diplomatic sources say that a blame game would hurt the negotiations more than this setback. 

“The problem in the talks is fixable, but extreme messaging can become a prophecy in itself,” a source told the Cyprus Weekly. “Tense atmosphere of talks, which is natural at the final stages, should not be taken outside the negotiation room.”

Returnees and territory 

The two Cypriot leaders were in the Swiss Alpine resort of Mont Pelerin earlier this week to decide on the criteria for territorial adjustments that would take place in the case of a solution: the percentage of territory to be subject to territorial adjustments, the number of displaced Greek Cypriots to return to the areas subject to territorial adjustments, and the total area of coastlines. There were high expectations for success as the two sides had already come very close in agreeing the criteria in the first round of talks in the same place earlier this month.

Akinci and Anastasiades had agreed that the Turkish Cypriot constituent state would make up between 28,2% and 29,2% of the total area of Cyprus. However, the talks ended without result when the two leaders could not overcome disagreement over the number of displaced Greek Cypriots who would return to the territorial adjustment areas. This number is an indicator as to how much urban land in areas like Morphou would be returned. The Greek Cypriot side insisted on a range of 78,000-92,000 returnees to secure the return of Morphou, while the Turkish Cypriot side kept the lower number of the range at 65,000 - which leaves Morphou out.

The Turkish Cypriot side does not want to make a commitment about Morphou just yet, as it is the biggest bargaining chip at hand for the final conference, where the grand give-and-take between the most sensitive issues, including security and guarantees would take place.

“The Greek Cypriot side, while holding as a trump card, issues like rotational presidency and effective participation in decision making mechanisms, which would provide for the political equality of the Turkish Cypriots, is attempting to finalise the territory chapter in its own favour and eliminate the Turkish Cypriot side’s bargaining power,” Akinci said on his return from Switzerland. “There is one thing the Turkish Cypriot side can give. And that is territory.”

Anastasiades, during a televised press conference, on the other hand, said that the Turkish Cypriot side was attempting to link the territorial issue with security and guarantees, and said this was unacceptable. 

Akinci however, insisted that there was an understanding between the sides that all issues including security and guarantees are to be discussed interdependently.

Thorny territory issue debated among Turkish Cypriots

By Esra Aygin

As it becomes almost certain that Cypriot leaders Mustafa Akinci and Nicos Anastasiades will be going abroad in November to discuss territory, the issue is a widely-debated topic among the Turkish Cypriots.

Akinci and Anastasiades will be meeting a total of 10 times until October 31, with the aim of overcoming the remaining difficulties in the chapters of governance and power-sharing, economy, EU Affairs and property.
If everything goes according to plan, the sides will take the talks to a third country to discuss territory.

The Turkish Cypriot side, fearing media leaks and disinformation if the issue is discussed on the island, requested a third-country venue.

This would both reduce the time required to finalise a deal and minimise the risk of speculation about places to be given to a future Greek Cypriot constituent state, it argued.

The sides have so far limited the discussion on territory to criteria, without putting village names, figures or maps on the table.

The official Turkish Cypriot position so far has been that territorial adjustments should be kept at a minimum since the European nature of the settlement would enable all citizens to reside freely anywhere on the island.

Some Turkish Cypriots agree that the issue of territory must now be considered in the much broader context of a modern European country, where the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot constituent states will be more of administrative entities rather than clear-cut borders.

Others, however, argue that a fair formula is for the Turkish Cypriot side to get political equality and share in the governance and give territory in return.

Niyazi Kizilyurek, dean of the School of Humanities of the University of Cyprus, says that Cyprus negotiations have been based on the formula of “political equality and power-sharing in exchange for territory” since 1975.
He warned that failing to meet the expectations of the Greek Cypriot side under the territory chapter would endanger a solution.

“A solution requires you to give what you have in excess and take what you are lacking,” said International Relations Professor Ahmet Sozen.

“The Turkish Cypriot side’s hand is strong in terms of property and territory, whereas the Greek Cypriot side’s hand is strong in terms of governance and power.”

Turkish Cypriot non-governmental organisations called on the Turkish Cypriot leadership to make the necessary concessions in territory and properties for the sake of a federal solution in Cyprus.

“We would like to remind the Greek Cypriot side that political equality and rotational presidency are very important for Turkish Cypriots. We would also like to remind the Turkish Cypriot side that territory and properties are very important for the Greek Cypriots.”

Akinci must walk a very fine line between trying to secure solution support from the Turkish Cypriot right wing, which is very sensitive about territorial adjustments, while not alienating the Greek Cypriot side, which brands territory as a ‘make or break’ for negotiations.

Fear factor at work (The Cyprus Weekly, 11 September 2015)

Esra Aygin 

Ever since the two leaders – Mustafa Akinci and Nicos Anastasiades – started discussing the topic of property little over a month ago, Turkish Cypriots have come under a heavy bombardment of disinformation and speculation.

Fabricated maps showing an exorbitant amount of territory being given to a future Greek Cypriot constituent state, rumours that all the Greek Cypriot properties in the northern part of Cyprus will be reinstituted to their original owners and exaggerated news reports of Greek Cypriots pounding at the door of their homes now inhabited by Turkish Cypriots are doing the rounds.

Although some of this may be due to misunderstanding or lack of knowledge, the greater part of it is clearly deliberately aimed at inciting fear, creating doubts and turning Turkish Cypriots against a prospective settlement. Misreporting by some Greek Cypriot media and failure of the Turkish Cypriot leadership to address the spread of disinformation and has added fuel to the fire.

Akinci and Anastasiades agreed during their meeting on July 27, that the individual’s right to property would be respected under a solution and that an independent property commission comprised of an equal number of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot members would resolve property claims according to mutually agreed criteria through the remedies of return, compensation or exchange.
The disinformation began with certain circles claiming that the recognition of an individual’s right to property means giving the first say over what happens to the property in question to the original owners – who will most probably demand their property back, therefore ousting the current users.

“This is completely false. There is a whole lot of disinformation and distortion going on,” said Mete Hatay, senior research consultant at the PRIO Cyprus Centre.

“Recognising the individual’s right to property is nothing new. It was recognised in the Annan Plan, and is the core idea behind the Immovable Property Commission, which restores the individual’s right to property.”

The Immovable Property Commission was established by the Turkish Cypriot administration in 2005 to deal with property claims of dispossessed Greek Cypriots under the conditions of non-solution through restitution, compensation and exchange.

Baris Burcu, the spokesperson for the Turkish Cypriot leader, denied allegations that the original owners would have the first say over the fate of the properties in question. “The individual right to property of both the owners and the users will be taken into consideration when resolving property claims post settlement,” said Burcu. “Both the original owners and the current users will have their right to property restored through restitution, compensation or exchange.”

Burcu also said the sides have not exchanged maps or discussed the percentage of the land that will be subject to territorial adjustment. Regarding reports of Greek Cypriots property owners “harassing” users, Burcu stated that a number of isolated incidents may have taken place, but added that the media reports are extremely exaggerated.

“The anti-solution lobbies are at work,” said Burcu. “They are trying to put fear in people’s hearts. They are scaremongering. They cannot do this with issues that have an easy solution. Property is a complex issue and one we have not yet resolved. They are exploiting the fact that we don’t have concrete answers to all aspects of the issue yet. They are filling the gaps with speculation and instilling fear and distrust. As we proceed with the talks on property, as we find solutions and fill the gaps, they will not be able to continue with this black propaganda.”

A number of influential columnists and opinion leaders have begun voicing that the exploitation of the much-sensitive property issue is turning some Turkish Cypriots against a solution – an argument being increasingly circulated even among the pro-solution. Columnist Hasan Hasturer of the daily Kibris, for example, wrote earlier this week that no one should be surprised if the solution is rejected by Turkish Cypriots this time.

“It seems that we are not seeking peace but a commercial agreement in Cyprus,” wrote Cenk Mutluyakali in daily Yeniduzen. “What importance does property have compared to the future of our children?… If we are to discuss a solution in respect of donums, not one but a thousand signatures will not work.”

Journalist Hasan Kahvecioglu, on www.gazete360.com wrote: “The looters…have waged the war. And before you know it, even the people you consider pro-solution are drowning in hesitation…Apparently our stance is the reunification of Cyprus only as long as it does not harm our interests.”

Mete Hatay agrees that there is a degree of disheartening among the Turkish Cypriot community towards solution. “There is a level of suspicion or uncertainty towards the process,” said Hatay.

“In more than ten years since Turkish Cypriots accepted the Annan Plan by 65%, many things have changed in the property scene in the northern part of Cyprus. The number of individuals involved in affected properties some way or another, multiplied. People got more settled in the houses in the 13 years since the beginning of the Annan Plan period,” said Hatay. “Babies that were born in those houses during that time, are now 13 years old. Many more Greek Cypriot properties have been transformed through development.” Hatay believes however, that the mood of the society will change. “All this can be overcome through better management of disinformation and increased cooperation with the civil society,” he said.

Akinci also dismissed speculation of a rejection by the Turkish Cypriot community earlier this week.
“Our goal is to establish a structure that would offer equality, freedom and security to our people,” said Akinci.“When we do that, present it to our people with clear conscience and say, ‘Here, we have made an agreement that you can approve with peace of mind,’ I don’t have the slightest shadow of doubt that our people will approve it.”

http://in-cyprus.com/fear-factor-at-work/