Cyprus Is Becoming A Condition

STAR- Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli writes on Turkish-EU relations and the Cyprus issue. A summary of her column is as follows:
Both the Europeans and some people in Turkey are working hand-in-hand to block Turkey’s path to the EU. To a great extent they have been successful. The coalition government leaders met and the only decision they agreed upon was to continue with the government and to shelve the EU issue. Their aim was to maintain political stability. The irony is that, political stability is necessary to overcome the economic crisis and the maintenance of the EU membership candidacy process. If we are abandoning or at least freezing this process, and the economy has come to the brink of a new crisis due to the prime minister’s ill health and slips of the tongue, what will the continuance of this government provide? These are the contributions made by those in Turkey who are blocking the path to the EU. There are other barriers put one after another to block Turkey’s path to the EU by the Europeans. These are more dangerous than the ones we ourselves have put before us. Recently the Germans have been very active on the issue. Germany accepted ‘enlargement towards the East’ as its priority foreign policy aim. That is why German diplomats and politicians have begun a diplomatic attack to have Poland accepted as a member before the end of the year. The only possible barrier before this issue is the ‘Cyprus problem.’ If the Cyprus problem is not solved before the end of the year, some European countries may oppose the Greek Cypriot administration’s EU membership. This in turn brings the possibility of a Greek veto of the EU enlargement process, in other words Germany’s nightmare coming true. Therefore, Germany is pressuring Turkey with all its might to hamper such a development. Recently one German delegation after another has come to Ankara, and the messages they are issuing are the same. ‘If Turkey wants to have a date set at the end of the year for accession negotiations, it must fulfill the political Copenhagen criteria. Furthermore, it must cooperate better in Cyprus for a solution.’ In short, if not officially, Cyprus is becoming a ‘de facto’ condition in Turkey’s EU membership bid. A great majority of European politicians and diplomats, mainly Germans, are saying that in order for Turkey to get a date for accession negotiations at the end of the year it must improve cooperation on the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). What is more, the deadline for the ESDP is sooner than that given for Cyprus. The deadline for a solution in Cyprus is set for the end of the year. For the ESDP timeframe is shorter as the EU wants to take a joint stand and take responsibility in the field of defense. It plans to deploy the ‘European force’ in place of the international force in Macedonia whose term of duty will be completed in autumn. However, due to the aid given to its members, and the funds allocated for the expected members, the financial resources of the European Union have been drained. In order to carry out the Macedonian operation at a minimum cost, they plan to use NATO facilities. Therefore, they have to convince NATO member Turkey, and NATO-European Union cooperation rules must be determined. No one is taking heed of the ‘Ankara Document’ Turkey approved in December after negotiations with the NATO leader country US along with Britain. It seems the position of the EU states which considered the opposition of Greece to the Ankara Document as ‘insolence’ has changed. Even Britain, which has negotiated with Turkey on the issue, cannot defend it. The pressure on Turkey to accept the arrangements satisfying Greece is building behind closed doors. In short, Turkey’s aim in becoming European is being hampered both by unproductive politics within the country, and by diplomatic games led by Greece abroad.

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