MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the European Union’s Copenhagen summit and the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
We would do well to quit discussing whether the EU’s decision on Turkey’s membership bid taken at last week’s Copenhagen summit was a ‘disaster’ or a ‘victory.’ Such discussions are fruitless. From now on, Turkish politicians need to focus on what their next moves should be.
Turkey first of all should put its political reforms into practice in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria. We’ve got plenty of time to do this, and our single-party government might be able to take effective decisions on democratization relatively quickly. Our politicians should also work on Turkey’s social and economic harmonization with the EU. These steps should be immediately taken not only for the sake of our EU membership bid, but also for a better future for the nation.
Another important issue is to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. It’s vital that the parties on the island begin negotiations on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan as soon as possible. If they can reach a settlement within approximately two months, then northern and southern Cyprus will be able to join the EU together. However, under the recent decision taken at the Copenhagen summit, only southern Cyprus is to become an EU member in the absence of a settlement.
What are the possible consequences of such a development for the Turkish side? There are two opinions on this issue, both controversial. Some believe that if only the Greek Cypriot administration is admitted to the EU, this will spell disaster for the Turkish side. In that case, Turkish Cypriots are likely to be totally dependent on Turkey’s support and will probably begin flocking to other territories. Such developments would pave the way for new problems not only for Turkey or Greece but also for both the EU and the United Nations. In addition, some other circles argue that the Greek Cypriots joining the EU would cement Cyprus’ status as a divided island. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would then integrate with Turkey, and such developments would give rise to new tensions between ourselves and Greece.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has already given its green light to recent UN efforts to reach a permanent settlement on the island. There’s no doubt that it’s high time for us to find a solution to this problem. We’d do best to leave behind old discussions and find a better way to deal with the issue, a method which will provide us with a new point of view.
The AKP-led government’s Cyprus policy is encouraging. However, we need to see how great is the determination of this government to solve the issue.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION