Turks sharply divided over sensitive Cyprus policy
Turks were sharply divided today over the government’s surprise proposal to open a major port and airport to long-time foe Cyprus and save the country’s troubled EU membership talks.
At a time when public support for EU membership has ebbed, the government’s proposal yesterday prompted opposition parties to accuse the government of “falling into a trap”, in an extremely delicate issue that is seen as a national matter.
The Turkish government is desperate to keep the country’s membership talks on track in the face of an EU threat to partially freeze negotiations over Ankara’s refusal to open its ports to EU member Cyprus.
But more than three decades after Turkish soldiers fought to protect the tiny Turkish Cypriot population from Greek Cypriots, the issue remains extremely sensitive and public support for the proposal seems unlikely.
A miffed chief of staff, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, complained to the Hurriyet newspaper that he had heard about the decision from television.
“A person at the head of the armed forces should not learn about this decision from television. Is it not necessary to inform a group that has 40,000 soldiers over there of such an important decision?”
The proposal was a surprise even for some Cabinet ministers, including Education Minister Huseyin Celik, who publicly admitted he was unaware of the move until it was announced.
Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, accused the government of committing grave mistakes, saying the Turkish people “will not forgive this government”.
“Let’s accept this truth – Erdogan, who has turned Turkey into the EU’s whipping boy … has surrendered,” wrote Necati Dogru, a columnist in the independent Vatan newspaper, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Other newspapers took a wait-and-see attitude, and some called the Turkish proposal a “golden goal” that lifted markets and put the burden back on the EU to show its commitment to solving the issue.
The EU was quick to call the step positive but insufficient yesterday as opposition parties mounted criticism against the government, voicing opposition to EU membership and concern that the Turkish proposal amounted to recognising Cyprus – an assertion Turkish officials vehemently rejected.
The Mediterranean island has been divided into a Greek Cypriot controlled South and Turkish-held North since the Turkish invasion in 1974.
“Opening the Turkish port and airport to Greek Cypriots would mean handing over the Northern Turkish Cypriot Republic to Greek Cypriots,” said Muhsin Yazicioglu, leader of the small right-wing nationalist Great Unity Party yesterday. “Turkey must immediately get out of the EU dream tunnel.”
Cyprus joined the EU after UN efforts led by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to reunite the island failed. Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the UN reunification plan shortly before Cyprus joined, while Greek Cypriots rejected it.
The division left Turkish Cypriots in the North in the lurch, represented in the EU by a Greek Cypriot government that they did not elect.
Cyprus is a favourite national cause for Turkey, which has some 40,000 troops in northern Cyprus and props up the breakaway state there.
“Whatever mistake we committed, the result is a 23-year-old young, dynamic, small Republic which is absolutely necessary for the security and strategic location of Turkey,” said former Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, a staunch nationalist.
“No one would like to see the Turkish soldiers to return to Anatolia as if they lost a war ... May God save this nation from seeing such a shame,” Denktash said.
