Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 97-11-13

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 211/97 -- 13.11.97

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash on the joint meeting at Ledra Palace

[02] Holbrooke meets Cem, Ecevit in Ankara

[03] Turkey "pleased" with Holbrooke "perspective"

[04] Holbrooke leaves after meeting with Yilmaz

[05] Turkish Foreign Ministry on Turkey's, Cyprus' accession to EU

[06] Denktash on conditions for EU membership talks

[07] Atun: "Solution to be laid only on a state level"

[08] Cindoruk warns against concessions on Cyprus to join EU

[09] Zorlu Tore calls on US, EU to recognize "TRNC"

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[10] Birand: A Cyprus solution will extremely benefit Turkey

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash on the joint meeting at Ledra Palace

Prior to the meeting, Denktash said that the points on which there is a deadlock will be taken up at the meetings.

Alleging that progress will be achieved at the talks if the status and sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriots are accepted, Denktash replied as follows to a question on whether the Turkish Cypriots will posit the recognition of the "TRNC" as a precondition: "This issue is on the agenda of the talks and can be discussed freely."

In a written statement he issued to a reporter's question prior to the meeting, Denktash said that he has hopes for the meeting, adding that Holbrooke's arrival gave both sides an opportunity. Noting that this opportunity has to be put to good use, Denktash claimed: "It is evident that federations can only be set up among equal political entities, which recognize and accept each other. Nowhere in the world has a federation been set up between a state and a community. It will be possible to surmount the deadlock, including the EU membership, once this anomaly is eliminated."

[02] Holbrooke meets Cem, Ecevit in Ankara

Holbrooke later went to the Prime Ministry and met with Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. In a statement before the meeting, he said that he did not arrive in Ankara to report on his contacts. Stressing that the meetings in Cyprus were a positive development even if they did not lead to a concrete result, Holbrooke noted that his previous visit to Ankara was made upon the invitation of Prime Minister Yilmaz and Ecevit. Ecevit said that full EU membership is one of Turkey's major goals but that the world does not begin in Europe.

[03] Turkey "pleased" with Holbrooke "perspective"

Responding to questions after meeting Cem, Holbrooke stressed: "We have a rule that confidential discussions must remain confidential so we are not going to discuss any details of talks in Nicosia. I can say that we took up Turkey's membership to EU at the meeting and we think that Turkey should be a member of EU."

Cem, in turn, stressed that "I cannot say that we recorded progress regarding Turkey's membership to EU. We have a particular policy and we pursue it."

Holbrooke visited Ecevit the same day.

Addressing a statement tot he press before this meeting, Holbrooke said: "Nobody should expect that a dramatic solution will be achieved in the Cyprus meetings, because the Cyprus issue is a very complicated one. We wish to see a bizonal and bicommunal Cyprus as a member of the EU."

In a short statement to the press after meeting Holbrooke, Ecevit in his part said that the main target of Turkey is full membership in the EU and that this is a right of Turkey stemming from the Ankara Treaty. Ecevit also pointed out that Holbrooke and the United States launch efforts to overcome the obstacles that stand in front of Turkey's membership.

Noting that the meeting was productive and positive, Ecevit stressed that "we took up many issues with Holbrooke."

Diplomatic sources said that Turkey is pleased with the general perspective that is drawn by Richard Holbrooke to overcome the obstacles that stand in front of Turkey's membership in the EU and the Cyprus question.

[04] Holbrooke leaves after meeting with Yilmaz

Foreign Ministry Under Secretary Korkmaz Hakhanir; Deputy Under Secretary Inal Batu; Thomas Miller, UD State Department special coordinator to Cyprus; and new US Ambassador to Turkey Mark Parris participated at the Yilmaz-Holbrooke meeting.

[05] Turkish Foreign Ministry on Turkey's, Cyprus' accession to EU

Noting that Holbrooke arrived in Ankara to exchange views and not to hold negotiations, Utkan claimed that it has become evident that the Greek Cypriot side will not show flexibility until the elections to be held in Cyprus in February.

"The two sectors in Cyprus should join the EU as a whole. Therefore, negotiations to accede to the EU should be conducted as a whole. This requires a federal structure. The parameters to establish this federal structure are quite clear. A bizonal federation should emerge, and for that we need two equal political entities", Utkan alleged.

Replying to questions on Turkish-EU relations, Utkan said that the recent developments show that Turkey will be invited to the European Permanent Conference. He added that there are indications that the expansion process will be removed from the conference's agenda.

"If they are considering a special status and a separate procedure for Turkey then this is, undoubtedly, unacceptable. If, however, the prevailing view is implemented and Turkey is declared a candidate for the expansion process with equal status with the other candidate countries then the EU should definitely envisage a preaccession strategy status in line with Turkey's needs and a preparatory program to suit this strategy," he said.

[06] Denktash on conditions for EU membership talks

Denktash said that he reminded Richard Holbrooke, the US President's special envoy to Cyprus, during their meeting that the balance between Turkey and Greece should be maintained.

Explaining that he pursued this stand during the five meetings he held with Holbrooke, Denktash added: "I did not say that the Turkish Cypriots will participate at the EU membership talks without Turkey. I said Turkey should be granted the same rights as the other EU member countries and that the 1960 agreements should be complied with."

Stating that the membership talks with the EU can be launched if the EU opens its membership doors to Turkey and recognize the "TRNC", Denktash claimed: "This will allow the TRNC to be more flexible".

[07] Atun: "Solution to be laid only on a state level"

Addressing the opening ceremony of the activities in Istanbul, Atun claimed: "It should be realized that the grounds of a political solution in Cyprus can only be laid on a state level".

[08] Cindoruk warns against concessions on Cyprus to join EU

Addressing his party's Assembly group, Cindoruk said that attending the conference is an important step in Turkey's relations with the EU but that this issue should not be blown out of proportion. He issued the following warning:

"Turkey cannot make concessions in north Cyprus in a bid to establish these relations and to attain these results. The price should not be concessions in Cyprus. We can discuss sincere aspirations and conciliations. One should not forget, however, another important front which is Turkey's rights in north Cyprus. North Cyprus is, at the same time, an island of security for us."

[09] Zorlu Tore calls on US, EU to recognize "TRNC"

Tore further claimed that "two separate republics" constitute the most realistic solution for Cyprus at present.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[10] Birand: A Cyprus solution will extremely benefit Turkey

There is benefit in repetition. The Cyprus problem will in a way be solved during the 1998-1999 period. We are face-to-face with two choices:

1. Agreement will be reached and the Turkish Cypriots will be EU members together with the Greek Cypriots.

2. If no agreement is reached, the Greek Cypriots will unilaterally become EU members and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will integrate with Turkey.

These two options are unavoidable. There is no third option. The external picture Turkey has displayed so far is that of a country that does not sit at the negotiating table and brings forth a nonsolution by displaying a very difficult stand.

The solution of the Cyprus problem will also extremely benefit Turkey. The Turkish Cypriots will not only get richer thanks to EU membership, but they will also be able to obstruct a new Greek veto within the EU. That is, the TRNC will be Turkey's guarantee within the EU.

There is one condition for this: It is imperative to have the TRNC's existence accepted, secure the running of their affairs by themselves, and accept their equality with the Greek Cypriots. It is also imperative to find a formula that looks like a single federal state when viewed from the outside, but is a confederation when viewed closely. To bring the two peoples together one more time or render the Greek Cypriots the ruling part will only create new problems. Whereas Turkey, instead of trying to find this kind of a formula, is creating the appearance of the side that does not want a solution.

Many of us think that nonsolution is in Turkey's favour. If, as I indicated above, the TRNC will come under the control of the Greek Cypriots, then a nonsolution will naturally be the lesser of two evils. However, to set out from the beginning having in mind a nonsolution and implement tactics accordingly is one thing, and to insist on a reasonable solution is something else. Viewed from the outside, Turkey's present approach smells of nonsolution.

There can be no problems if the stands displayed regarding Cyprus, where ECevit has played an important tole, are a part of the chess game and are reviewed in the future according to the situation. Otherwise, I can say that Turkey will face problems.

1. In the first place, if Turkey annexes the TRNC the EU doors will be closed in Turkey's face and never opened again. The Washington-Ankara relations for their part will suffer a major blow.

2. In this way, Greece will have found a new ally within the EU. It will have succeeded in excluding Turkey from Europe and at the same time in having secured the possibility to continue its campaign to maltreat Turkey at all the international forums.

3. The Greek Cypriots will be able to increase manifold their $15,000 per capita income within a short period of time and the variation between the two peoples will reach a point of no return.

Naturally, most important of all, the 1974 military operation will, in a sense, have been launched in vain. Turkey had launched its 1974 operation to prevent Greece from entering Cyprus and distance it from the soft belly of the Mediterranean.

The Greek Cypriots' unilateral entry into the EU will help Greece to act in the way it wants in south Cyprus (the Enosis file has already been closed), and at the same time the Greek Cypriots will have obtained a medium-scale military power relative to their size. As a result of this, Turkey will not be able to react to the arming of south Cyprus, which will have become an EU member, and will not be able to hold Cyprus as a victim against a Greek drive in the Aegean. South Cyprus will have been lost from the military point of view. A Turkish-Greek military balance formed 23 years earlier will have been disrupted.

It is very easy to make a nationalistic show regarding Cyprus. However, a realistic analysis shows that we can get nowhere with toughness alone. My suggestion is that Turkey should work on attaining a solution instead of a nonsolution."

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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