Greek Cyprus complains to EU about Turkey’s ports ban

29 November 2010, Monday / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL 0 0 0 0

The Greek Cypriot administration has complained to the European Union about Turkey’s refusal to open its ports to Greek Cyprus, saying it harms their naval transportation sector.

The Greek Cypriots presented the official complaint for discussion at a meeting of EU transportation, telecommunications and energy ministers due to convene on Tuesday, the Anatolia news agency reported on Sunday. The document argues that Turkey’s policy undermines the Greek Cypriot administration’s power to negotiate in international organizations because it causes their share in the global market to deteriorate. The Turkish policy also hampers Greek Cypriot aspirations to become a naval transportation hub in the eastern Mediterranean, the document also claims. According to Greek Cypriot estimates presented to the EU ministers, the Turkish ban costs the Greek Cypriot economy 100 million euros annually.

Turkey refuses to open its ports and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus unless the EU implements their 2004 promise to allow trade with the Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriot administration, internationally recognized as representing the entire island, as well as being a member of the EU since 2004, blocks the direct trade proposal, saying its implementation would mean recognition of the Turkish Cypriot state, which now rules the northern part of the island.

The Greek Cypriots joined the EU days after they rejected a UN plan to reunite the Turkish and Greek parts of the island. The Turkish Cypriots, who voted for the plan, are unable to benefit from membership and are not allowed to trade with the outside world. The ports dispute also hampers Turkey’s EU accession bid: The EU froze accession negotiations on 8 out of 35 chapters due to Turkey’s refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from member Greek Cyprus. They remain closed and EU efforts to overcome the dispute by securing partial concessions from Turkey have so far failed.

Last week, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated that Turkey will not open its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels and goods unless the EU lifts its trade embargo on Turkish Cyprus at the same time. “If there’s a simultaneous opening of ports and airports, then we’ll be a part of it,” Erdoğan said. “No one should expect anything different.” In its complaint to the EU, Greek Cyprus said it welcomes statements from its EU partners expressing solidarity but called for more coordinated actions to put an end to Turkey’s “arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions,” Anatolia said.

This is the second time in less than two months the Greek Cypriots complained about Turkey to the EU. At the EU ministers meeting on Oct. 13, Greek Cypriot representatives said Turkey’s refusal to open its air space to Greek Cypriot planes forces their airline companies to take longer routes, thus increasing their carbon dioxide emissions by several tons every year.