LEFKOSA - It only took a quick visit to the island to work out an obvious reality: The Turks of Cyprus are a persistent bunch and I like them for that.
The Cyprus problem is a longstanding concern for many: Turkey and Greece, together with the United Kingdom, have been guarantors for the Republic of Cyprus, created in 1960. The republic still remains, but it lost its original form after the bloody events of 1963 and 1964 which paved the way for the Greeks to usurp the basic rights of the Turks. The Turks have their own enclave in the North since intervention by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 1974 which then evolved into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a state, in late 1983, despite the fact that no country but Turkey officially recognizes its existence.
It''s too much for a small island to have two states, and the world community has been trying to reduce the number to one by putting incentives in front of the two communities. Any settlement to the Cyprus problem must contain clauses to tackle the issue of security for Turkish Cypriots in the North, and to fulfill the psychological needs of the Greek Cypriots in the South.
The best way to solve the problem was through European Union membership which would be extended to both to the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey simultaneously, or to keep the Republic of Cyprus out of the EU until it can find a way towards unification by giving the Greek Cypriots the responsibility of putting its house in order.
As a regular visitor to the North, I always find it fascinating to see faces full of hope on a piece of land with very little to be hopeful for. Turkish Cypriots have a state nobody officially recognizes. It produces very little, and even the little it does produce can''t be exported because of international restrictions and embargoes. The northern part of the island has beautiful landscape and coastlines but foreign visitors have been deprived of enjoying the beauty there since airports and harbors in the North are off limits to international air and sea traffic.
How can anyone living in these conditions be hopeful for the future?
The name of the ray of hope, until very recently, was the Annan plan. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave his name to a delicately prepared plan that, if found acceptable, could create an atmosphere which would lead both parties to live peacefully in a federation. The plan was designed in such a way that it would satisfy the security concerns of the Turks in the North and fulfill the psychological needs of the Greeks in the South. The plan, we all know, was accepted by the Turks while it was rejected by the Greeks in separate referendums last year.
The Turkish Cypriots'' perseverance is very much evident from their insistence on following the path of peace although the Greek Cypriots don''t care much for it. The Turks have voted for political parties favoring a peaceful settlement to the problem twice, making a left-wing politician first prime minister and then president on the assumption that he would break the mold and give way to a lasting solution. Replacing Rauf Denktas, who was a "hero" to many, with Mehmet Ali Talat, whose only credential is his willingness to find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem, as president is a clear indication of their determination.
Mr. Talat assumed the mantle of the presidency on Sunday. His main task is to convince his counterpart in the South that unity on the island is beneficial for both parties concerned. His counterpart in the South, Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos, is a hardliner who has made a political career with his anti-Turkish prejudice. It takes two to tango, and in Cyprus, there''s only one partner ready to dance.
The Greek Cypriots, who have been EU citizens since last May, now don''t need to show any tendencies for peace as envisaged in the Annan plan. They will bide their time until all parties lose their patience and the Turks forfeit their demands for a bi-zonal, bi-communal state. Time is working in their favor, or so Mr. Papadopoulos believes. This askew and outdated belief alone proves that the Greek Cypriots don''t deserve to be rulers of the whole island.
The Annan plan was rejected and there''s very little likelihood for it to be retried. The Greek side has become a member of the EU and has had the upper hand in claiming that it represents the island single-handedly. International bodies clearly favor the Greeks. The EU has retracted its promises for unilateral gestures and has left the Turks in the North to the mercy of Mr. Papadopoulos.
So, how can anyone under these circumstances hope for the better?
When in Lefkosa, after witnessing so much hope and anticipation, I tried hard to find the reason for this curious phenomenon. This is my humble discovery: The Turks of Cyprus have gained a new morale by being insistent on peace. Now that Mr. Denktas is out of the picture in the North, and Mr. Papadopoulos remains at the helm in the South, they believe honesty and good faith will help them win eventually.
Will they?
From The New Anatolian, April 26, 2005
