BY TAHA AKYOL
MILLIYET- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas has been criticizing the Turkish government of late. Of course he can take issue, but it’s worrisome that this is becoming a polemic. ‘If we aren’t sovereign, why did Turkey send its ambassador?’ he asked recently. ‘Why has it recognized us as a sovereign state for 20 years? It’s sacrificing Cyprus in order to get a date from the EU. Turkey once risked a war for the Aegean islet of Kardak, but now it’s preparing to forsake Cyprus.’ When I asked Justice Minister Cemil Cicek about these comments, he replied, ‘We’re keeping our silence because we respect Denktas’s historic character. We know that such a discussion between Anatolian Turks and Cypriot Turks would be very harmful.’ I wonder if Denktas has considered the issue from this point of view.
Denktas’ message to Turkish Cypriots that ‘Turkey is forsaking you for EU membership’ is very mistaken. Even if UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan is accepted, Turkey will support Turkish Cypriots both politically and economically for years to come. Turkish Cypriots shouldn’t get the impression that they’ve been forsaken. Moreover, the TRNC’s Founding Declaration clearly envisaged ‘the re-establishment of partnership between two equal nations [Turkish and Greek Cyprus] under the roof of a federation.’ That’s why the TRNC’s Constitutional Court accepted that Annan’s plan, which would put an end to the TRNC and establish the ‘roof of federation,’ should face a referendum.
When there’s conflict between reason and feelings, the requirements of reason should be followed. Of course there isn’t just one reasonable way, but discussions about this shouldn’t cause friction between Cyprus and Anatolia. On the contrary, we’re entering a process in which the feeling of solidarity between Turkish Cypriots and Turkey should strengthen our economic and social ties more than ever. Denktas can criticize the government and lead a ‘no’ campaign, but if he says that Turkey is forsaking Cyprus, he’s not only being unfair, but also hurting solidarity. When I spoke to Cicek about presenting Annan’s plan to the UN Security Council for ‘guarantees,’ he replied, ‘He was supposed to present it after the referendums. We aren’t complaining about it. In addition, the Security Council resolution has a positive side because it will boost the legal power of the derogations in Annan’s plan.’ After 30 years, we’ve reached a good crossroads. All of us, including Denktas, should think of the era to follow Saturday’s referendums.