BY CUNEYT ULSEVER
HURRIYET- Ankara has taken a clear stance on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan and all the parties, mostly Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, have reworked their own positions. In other words, some of themhave changed their minds. One can profit by stemming losses wherever possible, but no-one can escape the cost of lost time. Greek Cyprus will become a European Union member in three-and-a-half months. This situation obligates both Turkey and the TRNC to make actual concessions. Back in December 2002 the Turkish side couldn’t sit at the negotiating table due to Denktas’s stubbornness, and this helped the Greek Cypriot administration to gain EU membership.
An insensitive Denktas didn’t resign last Sunday. The Turkish government initially approached the Cyprus issue with a nationalist reflex due to its fear of its fanatic base, hoping that the opposition would win December’s elections, but afterwards, it changed its mind due to US pressure. Now Denktas and hawks will try a final ploy. They will pretend to negotiate over Annan’s plan until May. Now the common goal of both Turkish and Greek Cypriot supporters of the status quo is the Greek Cypriots’ entrance into the EU without making any concessions plus Turkey’s failure to get a date for negotiations from the EU this December. Thus Turkey would retreat into itself and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) would be divided. As long as Denktas sits at the negotiating table, I will harbor these doubts and issue warnings.