TURKIYE- Columnist Necati Ozfatura writes about the Cyprus problem. A summary of his column is as follows:
Turkey lacks a consensus regarding the Cyprus issue among the government coalition partners. The problem concerning the island is step by step taking the same course as the events long ago regarding Crete. If it had not been for Rauf Denktas’s fight, the island would have been annexed to Greece long ago. If everyone knows how Crete was lost, Cyprus can be defended better. In 1821 an uprising began on the Greek Peleponnesus peninsula, then under Ottoman rule, upon the provocation of Russia, France and Britain. Russia spread this riot to the island of Crete. At the 1830 London Conference, the independence of Greece was recognized. Greece asked for Crete during this conference. Crete was not given to it, but it did not quit pursuing this dream. In 1866, Napoleon III said that everything would be done for the Christians in Crete and Syria. Upon this show of support, another uprising began in Crete. In 1878, when the war developed in favor of the Russians and against the Ottomans, Greek officers went to Crete to train the rebels. In 1879 a Parliament consisting of 49 Christian and 31 Muslim deputies was established in Crete in accordance with the St. Stephanos Treaty. A Turco-Greek war erupted when Greece sent 14 warships to Crete in 1897. Ottoman armies got as far as Athens. Although the armies won on the battlefield, the issue was lost at the negotiation table. In 1908 Greece annexed Crete. These days, we can see same scenario being repeated on Cyprus. Rauf Denktas, who is striving not to let Cyprus issue turn into another Crete, is being accused by the EU, the US, Greece, Greek Cypriots of being the intransigent party. Certain Turkish politicians, intellectuals and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan act as if they are lobbying for the Greek Cypriot side. No progress is reported in the negotiations between the two sides. The Greek government has recommended that the Greek Cypriots bide their time, while seeming to be in favor of negotiations, as the EU doors would be opened for the Greek Cypriot administration in December. It would seem that the situation will continue as it is.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION