MILLIYET- Columnist Tuncay Ozkan writes on the Cyprus issue and its being the key to Turkey’s EU membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:
Regarding the Cyprus issue and the TRNC, the belief in the international arena that the Turkish side doesn’t want a solution seems to be taking hold. The number of those in Turkey who are in favor of a solution and therefore are willing to be more giving cannot be disregarded. This increases the pressure on Turkey rather than the TRNC. However, leaving aside all these pressures, the ticking of the EU clock for the Greek Cypriot side brings forth the impasse of their admittance to the EU with or without a solution to the problem. In such a case, the division on the island would be formalized. Can Turkey stand the results to follow? No promising news comes from the face-to-face talks in Cyprus. If there is no change in the atmosphere of these talks in the future, progress doesn’t seem to be possible. This means that Cyprus, which was regarded as an issue between Turkey and Greece up to now, will thenceforth be considered a problem between Turkey and the EU. In other words, Turkey will not be admitted into the EU unless the Cyprus problem is solved. It seems impossible for the government to make a decision on Cyprus in this political structure. In a clever maneuver, Greece turned the Cyprus issue into an EU problem. The EU is continuing with the process of Greek Cypriot admittance into the Union. At present the US is also supporting the Greek Cypriot argument. However, it is not known what will happen in case of an impasse.... If no result comes out of the talks until the end of October, and the EU decides to begin full membership negotiations with the Greek Cypriots, Turkey’s relations with the EU will weaken. If our integration process with the TRNC begins, the relations between Turkey and the EU will take years to repair. The month of October is drawing near.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION