‘EU left us in the lurch’

Date: 24/05/06

The leaders of northern Cyprus have slammed the European Union for failing to honour its pledge to end the isolation of the Turkish half of the island.

"In two years the EU hasn't moved," says Ali Mehmet Talat, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in an interview. "The United States is doing more to end the isolation of north Cyprus than the EU."

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer says: "We destroyed the policy of isolation but the world has not reciprocated." Lambasting the Union for failing to lift the blockade of the poorer, northern part of the island, he adds: "We ask the EU: where are your principles?"

On 24 April 2004, more than three-quarters of northern Cypriots voted 'Yes' to the Annan Plan, which foresees the eventual reunification of the divided island. On the same day, Greek Cypriots rejected the plan by a ratio of two to one. A week later the Republic of Cyprus entered the EU, while the northern chunk of the divided island was shut out.

"The EU made a historic mistake accepting southern Cyprus into the EU without a resolution to the Cyprus problem," says Talat, speaking in his north Nicosia office. "They thought that by giving a carrot to the Greek Cypriots the problem would be resolved. But the Greek Cypriots deceived the international community for a very long time that they were in favour of a solution."

After the referenda, the European Commission moved to end the north's isolation and promised a EUR 59 million aid package. But two years on, northern Cyprus remains as isolated as ever. There are no direct flights or phone calls, postal services are administered by Turkey and most countries are forbidden from trading with the breakaway republic.

Nor has the aid arrived after the Republic of Cyprus held up the earmarked money - although ministers finally agreed to dispatch EUR 139m in February. "The EU must put its hands in its pockets fast," says Soyer, urging Brussels to lift its economic boycott of the north. The prime minister pledged that if the north's ports and airports were allowed to open and the international community's trade blockade was lifted, the republic would completely open its borders to the south and create a common economic space on the island.

"By lifting the isolation, the unification of the island will become more imminent," believes Talat. But for the moment, the Annan plan appears to have little chance of being accepted by the south. The 53-year-old former electrical engineer blames Republic of Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos for jeopardising any chance of re-unification.

"The present leadership [in the south] is quite regressive and doesn't really want a solution which will be based on political equality between the two sides," he says. Asked if he would agree to face-to-face negotiations with Papadopoulos, who campaigned against the Annan plan, Talat replies: "I am ready for talks any time he wants. I've invited him many times to meet - socially or formally - but he has continually declined."

Turkey, which occupied the northern part of the island in 1974 after a coup by Athens-backed Greek Cypriots, is the only country in the world to recognize northern Cyprus. But it refuses to recognise the Republic of Cyprus - to the dismay of Brussels but the delight of Talat. "It would be a disaster for Turkish Cypriots [if Ankara recognised the Greek Cypriot part of the island]. It would be an annihilation of Turkish Cypriots. Turkish troops would be obliged to withdraw, which would mean Turkish Cypriots would be totally deserted."

In the north of the island, support for joining the EU is coupled with almost unanimous disapproval of the bloc's failure to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots.

"Of course we are disappointed with the European Union," says Orhan Tolun, head of the northern Cyprus tourism association. "What have they done for us? What does their money mean if the embargo continues?"

Cim Kiyat, a 24-year old interpreter, says: "We are told we are part of Europe but we don't have the same rights as other Europeans. If the EU does not change its position, our isolation will continue for another 20 years."

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said last week that the EU was preparing a new initiative to break the deadlock. "I trust that after the parliamentary elections in Cyprus this week, we can soon start serious work to get the remaining part of the economic aid and trade package for the northern part of Cyprus," Rehn said in a speech to the European Policy Centre in Brussels.

• Greek Cypriots backed the ruling coalition in parliamentary polls, endorsing the government which opposes efforts to re-unite the island with the Turkish north. President Tassos Papadopoulos's Diko party won 18% of the vote - up 3% on the previous poll - while his allies, the communist Akel party, won 31%. The main opposition Disy party won 30%. This was the first chance for Greek Cypriots to pick members of parliament since the plan for the reunification of the island was rejected in 2004.

Cyprus - history of an island of struggle from 1914 to 2006

• 1914: Britain annexes Cyprus
• 1919-22: Greco-Turkish war. Greece was promised territorial gains in Turkey in return for supporting allies in first world war
• 1 April 1955: National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters attack British presence in Cyprus
• 16 April 1960: Turkish and Greek Cypriots agree on a constitution and gain independence
• 21 December 1963: Violence between Turkish and Greek Cypriots leaves hundreds dead or missing on both sides
• 15 July 1974: Greek-led coup d'�t ousting Greek Cypriot president Archbishop Makarios III
• 20 July 1974: Turkey invades Cyprus
• 15 November 1983: Turkish Cypriots declare independence, acknowledged by Turkeybut no other nations
• 4 July 1990: Cyprus applies for membership to the EU
• 5 July 1994: European Court of Justice restricts trade between Northern Cyprus and the EU
• December 1996: European Court of Human Rights declares Turkey an occupying force in Cyprus
• 14 January 2002: Peace talks between the two parties begin but soon stalled
• 11 November 2002: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan presents both sides with a plan for unification as a means to restart negotiations
• 24 April 2004: Turkish Cyprus votes 'Yes' on Annan Plan to unify all of Cyprus save the sections of land still under British control
• 24 April 2004: Greek Cyprus votes 'No' on Annan Plan
• 1 May 2004: Cyprus joins EU
• 29 July 2005: Turkey signs Ankara Protocol agreeing to open ports and airports to Cyprus but makes this contingent on EU opening relations with the north
• 21 May 2006: Elections in Cyprus, 49% of Cypriots voted for the ruling coalition which stands against unification of Cyprus. The party that supports unification gained 30% of the vote.
• Gareth Harding is a freelance journalist based in Brussels.

Article reports that the leaders of northern Cyprus accused the European Union of failing to honour its pledge to end the isolation of the Turkish half of the island. Article includes a timeline of Cyprus - 1914-2006.

European Commission: DG Enlargement: Turkish Cypriot Community http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/turkish_cypriot_community/index_en.htm

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