MILLIYET- Columnist Fikret Bila writes on the United Nations Cyprus plan recently proposed to the leaders of the Turkish and Greek communities on the island. A summary of his column is as follows:
The Greek Cypriot administration recently announced that it was ready to discuss the Cyprus plan prepared by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a solution proposal under which the parties are being asked to sign ‘no later than early December’ a deal on the main articles of the final agreement, including a map of the borders of the ‘component states.’ However, Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides underlined that he had reservations on certain points which, he thinks, need further clarification.
What about the stance of the Turkish side?
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously stated that the UN plan was open for discussion. Erdogan reiterated this view during his recent visit to Cyprus. However, he also added that this didn’t mean that the Turkish side would accept the plan in its current form without demanding any changes. He believes that the UN plan had certain unfair points which needed addressing. It’s clear that new Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will also assume a similar stance on the Cyprus issue.
What does the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) think about this plan? Due to his ongoing health problems, TRNC President Rauf Denktas has yet to make any official statements on the issue. However, we can see that the TRNC seems more suspicious and cautious than the AKP. TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu believes that the territories demanded from the Turkish side under the UN plan are strategically very important to the Turkish Cypriots. He thinks that if the Turkish Cypriots agree to give these territories to the Greek Cypriot administration, the TRNC would be effectively under siege at the hands of the Greek side. That’s why he considers the territorial adjustments proposed by Annan unacceptable. Although the TRNC is currently avoiding giving negative signals on the issue in order not to harm the Cyprus peace process, the UN plan in its current form is, in fact, a non-starter to the Turkish Cypriots.
In addition, military experts stress that the territorial adjustments lowering the Turkish Cypriot stake on the island would spell nothing less than military siege for the Turkish side. They believe that especially Cape Karpaz, which is strategically critical to Turkey, cannot be handed over to the Greek Cypriot administration. Both Turkey’s Foreign Ministry and the Office of the Chief of the General Staff share these concerns.
Erdogan is currently making statements stressing these concerns on the one hand, and clarifying the Turkish stance as determined and ready to negotiate on the other. He also rejected the deadline set out by Annan, by remarking that it was almost impossible to reach a permanent settlement before the EU’s Copenhagen summit in December.
We’ll see in due time whether approval of Annan’s plan is a prerequisite for Turkey’s EU membership bid.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION