MILLIYET- Columnist Taha Akyol comments on recent developments concerning the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
Ankara has suddenly realized that its worst nightmare may come true: ‘Being dragged into conflict with the European Union over Cyprus and with the United States over the Iraq crisis.” And just think of the political, economic and even social wounds such a possibility could inflict on our country. As Abdullah Gul has rightfully said, “economy is an Achilles’ heel for us.” Even in the long run, our economic development could be gravely affected. And of course, as the solution to ethnic problems hinges on economic prosperity such a bad scenario could hurt political stability and domestic peace.
Alongside the Iraq issue comes the Kurdish question. Do you really think that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was completely impartial in its recent ruling that Abdullah Ocalan, head of the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK, did not get a ‘fair’ trial in the Ankara State Security Court, as the court had not been an ‘independent and impartial tribunal’? No! Just the opposite! Politics and prejudices have played a key role in ECHR’s decision.
Turkey’s strategic key role in the international affairs is obvious. But unfortunately it doesn’t fit into every lock. Isn’t the US which desperately needs Turkey on its side for a war against Iraq? Yet, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher has put the blame on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Denktas and the Turkish side for the Cyprus issue had entered to dead end.
France and Germany, which are dead set against the US in its war plans in Iraq, have appreciated Turkish Parliament’s rejection of a proposal that would have allowed deployment of US troops in Turkey, haven’t they? But EU Commission spokesman Jean-Christophe Filoi, on behalf of EU’s German Commissioner Verheugen, blamed Denktas and said that Turkey would not be an EU member. Moreover, he charged that units of Turkish military on Cyprus would be an ‘occupying force’. For long years the EU, UN and the US have acted concertedly on Cyprus issue and isolated the TRNC and Turkey in the international scene. Is it a completely unprecedented situation which we face now? On Dec. 15 Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis warned us that if no settlement was reached EU could consider Turkey occupying an EU member soil.
Surely, Denktas is a national hero. The island would have already been Helenized had the Turkish Cypriots lacked a leader like Denktas backed by Turkey’s political, military and economic support. Yet Denktas fails to show the necessary flexibility at times when it is crucial for a settlement on the issue. How will then the TRNC preserve its society when the Greek Cyprus administration will enter the EU and begin giving passports to Turkish Cypriots? What will Turkey do when Greek Cyprus administration will become EU’s term president?
State of the Turkish economy is obvious. Imagine moreover that Turkey gets at odds with the EU and the US! This is the bad scenario which I’m deeply concerned about.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION