TAYYIP ERDOGAN made his first visit to the north as the new president of Turkey on Monday, but there was nothing to suggest there would be much of a change in Ankara’s policy on Cyprus. Ankara will carry on paying lip service to the need for a settlement, calling on the Greek Cypriot side to show commitment to a deal while pursuing plans to make the north another province of Turkey.
Erdogan said during his visit that within the next two or three months all the work to bring water from Turkey to Cyprus will have been completed and also announced plans to supply the north with electricity; his objective was to double the income per capita of Turkish Cypriots in the next 10 years. These are costly projects, which are designed to further increase the north’s dependence on Turkey and eventually make it part of the mainland, although Erdogan put a different spin on the issue, saying the water would be for the whole of Cyprus, as long as Greek Cypriots “took the hand of peace we are offering them.”
As regards the Cyprus talks, he repeated the tired rhetoric about the viable and fair settlement “in a new co-operation based on UN parameters”, stressing the need for political equality and repeating that Turkey would never allow the Turkish Cypriots to become a minority. His only comment that sparked a direct response from the Cyprus government spokesman, Andreas Christodoulides, was his call on Greece to become involved in the peace talks. Greece did not have Turkey’s responsibilities as it was not occupying Cyprus territory, the spokesman said.
Other than this the two sides carried on the familiar blame-game, Erdogan accusing the last two Cyprus presidents of not having the political will for a settlement and being insincere; he also called for the placing of a time-frame on the talks. Christodoulides hit back by pointing out Turkey’s declarations in favour of a settlement were “devoid of meaning as in practice Ankara’s policies demonstrate just the opposite.” The Greek Cypriot political parties focused on lambasting Erdogan’s “illegal visit”, once again showing that for them the rhetoric is more important than the substance.
Meanwhile, the new Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General, Espen Barth Eide arrives in Cyprus in a couple of days on his first visit. He will be reassured to know that the talks are in a stalemate and the two sides are engaging in the familiar blame-game for the lack of progress. And Erdogan’s one day visit to the north served to underline that there are no plans to change anything.
Küfi Seydali
COMMENT (John Mavro)
Why is anyone surprised with the outcome of the Erdogan visit?
Unlike the morons on this side that pose as ”politicians”, Turkey has always maintained a consistent policy on the Cyprus ”problem”. Whether this policy is right or wrong is irrelevant. What is however, is that irrespective of changes in government or leadership, Turkey maintains its long term strategy intact.
Whereas on this side we have a myriad of ”political parties” and ”politicians” who do not even KNOW what they want. We hear the usual outrageous garbage from the usual suspects and super patriots about:
– we want a change in strategy, after forty years of ”talks”
– we want a federation BUT with the right content! Of course no one knows what the ”right content” is
– we want a ”European” solution – whatever that means
– we want to return to the 1960 constitution! After Makarios and the rest of the fools did their utmost to destroy it.
– we must veto Turkey’s EU accession negotiations! Yes, a joke of a country, totally bankrupted, and whose entire population will fit in a large European town, will stand in the way of Turkey.
– etc
Turkey’s president at least is being honest in setting out his parameters for a solution. Which parameters are consistent with the past forty years.
So why the hysteria on this side?
If anything, the blame can be placed on the useless Anastasiades and his amateur ”advisors” who raised all sorts of unrealistic expectations about some form of an ”opening” by Erdogan on his visit here. Surely these clowns should know that a serious leader does not change national policy at a whim?
However, there were some winners from the fallout of the Erdogan visit.
The well known super patriots, Papadopoulos, Omirou, Lillikas, Perdikis, Lyssaridis, Syllouris and even the retarded AKEL chief Kyprianou will now feel ”vindicated” about Turkey’s ”intransigence” and ”provocative” stance. And also be happy that NO solution is within sight, with de jure partition around the corner.
When in reality, Erdogan is merely doing his job and looking after the interests of the country his is president of.
And that the only grossly provocative and insulting behavior towards all sensible individuals is that of these idiots who have made a lucrative and rich career out of the non-solution of this tired, old Cyprus ”problem”
