BY FERAI TINC
HURRIYET- Turkish Cypriots gave the expected answer in yesterday's elections. Those who had worked to overcome all the obstacles to a solution on the island and had made the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) the ruling party ended up withdrawing their support. One of the reasons for this is that the CTP has governed the country poorly. But this isn't the only reason. If the European Union hadn't acted so unfairly after promising to support the TRNC if it accepted the Annan plan, the Turkish Cypriots would have been able to stomach the EU membership of Greek Cyprus, which rejected the Annan plan, and would have voted very differently. If the embargo on the TRNC had been lifted and the EU had kept its promises, this could have happened. But none of this happened, and the CTP, which based its policies on a solution on the island, was ineffectual. Interpreting this election as signaling Turkish Cypriot reluctance to reach a solution would be a mistake.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat met in Washington last week with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Speaking to the Washington Times, Talat said that if the Nationalist Union Party (UBP) came to power, there might be certain problems. He told a group of Turkish reporters the same thing, adding that the negotiation process might get harder. From now on, the TRNC has a two-headed administration - a government dominated by people who opposed the Annan plan and a president who was elected for embracing it.
If the new government can take effective steps to solve economic problems and provide political stability, this kind of two-headed situation might not last. But if the government fails to fulfill its promises, it might try to raise the issue of the negotiations and gum them up. And then the TRNC would run into problems with both Turkey and international powers, just like in past years. I know the Turkish Cypriots don't want this. Even people dead set against a solution say that a deadlock would lead nowhere. Even the hope for two states depends on a solution. We know from experience that no solution can be reached through a one-sided insistence.
Turkey's problems shouldn't be reflected in the TRNC. This would be a great blow in the critical search for a solution in the days to come. Our ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party should look for ways to support harmony in the TRNC. The election results reflect Turkish Cypriots' disappointment about Europe and a solution. But this doesn't mean that Turks don't dream of a solution and a life without embargoes."