Turkey proposes to end all restrictions on Cyprus

[Gavur]

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that Turkey is proposing to end all restrictions on Cyprus.

Gul made the remark at Esenboga Airport upon his return from a trip to Finland, the next rotating EU presidency.

About statements by Turkish Parliamentary EU Adjustment Commission Chairman Yasar Yakis on opening Turkish ports to Greek Cypriots, Gul reiterated that the Customs Union works with 25 members of the European Union (EU) and Turkey.

In an interview with the Kibris (Cyprus) daily published in Northern Cyprus on Tuesday, Yakis said that it is possible to open ports and airports without recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration.

Yakis said, "opening of ports and airports in Turkey does not mean recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration. Turkey is determined not to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration before resolution of the Cyprus issue."

"It seems that the EU will put pressure on Turkey to put the additional protocol into force. However, Turkey can not accept anything that will negatively affect interests of the northern Cyprus. Our government has been working hard to find a creative way of dealing with the issue," he said.

Meanwhile, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said on Tuesday in Rome that if Ankara does not fulfill requirements, European negotiators are ready to "put on the brake."

"Negotiations may be cut off on extraordinary circumstances, as it is stated in Turkey's framework document. For instance, in cases of violation of human rights or basic rights, negotiations will be cut off," Rehn said.

Rehn pointed out that the Customs Union Additional Protocol must get ratified by the Turkish parliament, saying, "This issue involves the Greek Cypriots. Unless the Turkish parliament ratifies the additional protocol, going ahead in negotiations will not be possible."

In July, Turkey signed a protocol with the EU to extend its customs union to 10 new EU member states, including the Republic of Cyprus, a demand by the EU to open entry talks.

But at the same time, Turkey issued a declaration, saying its signature of the customs union did not mean its recognition of the republic and Ankara refused to open its ports and airports to Cyprus.

Greece, Britain and Turkey are seen as three guarantor powers for the independence of Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974 when Turkey sent troops to the Turkish Cypriot north to foil an Athens-backed Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece.

The Greek Cypriot government in the south, internationally recognized, joined the EU in 2004 on behalf of the whole island. The northern part is only recognized by Ankara.

The latest efforts to reunite the island failed in April 2004 when the Greek Cypriots rejected a UN plan while the Turkish Cypriots approved it.

Source: Xinhua

[Gavur]

ANKARA: Greek President Papoulias Threatens Turkey

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 30 2005



* Greek President Karolos Papoulias threatened Turkey over the EU
membership. Papoulias urged Turkey to open Greek religious school,
accept the Greek Patriarchate's `universal' status and shift its
casus belli policy over the territorial waters issue. Papoulias also
called Turkey to give up Turkish position on Cyprus issue. The Greek
President offered nothing for all these demands

Melek GULLU (JTW) - Greek President Karolos Papoulias urged Turkey to
reconsider its interpretation of its casus belli (cause for war) if
it aims to become a member of the European Union. The Greek President
claimed that Turkey's stance on this issue does not fall in line with
Europe's expectations. Greece declared its territorial waters 12
miles in the Aegean Sea and Turkey does not accept 12 m. Turkey
argues that Greece cannot enlarge its territorial waters without
asking Turkey. When Greece enlarges its territorial waters to 12
miles no passage way remains in the Aegean Sea for Turkish and
international ships.
"Turkey is standing at the crossroads and will either follow a
European line by choosing stability or will never achieve full EU
membership," Papoulias warned. "If it decides to follow a European
path, it should reconsider its main policy choices."

Papoulias also argued that Turkey should open the Heybeliada Seminary
(religious school), recognize the "ecumenical" (universal) status of
the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and develop good neighborly
relations with other EU member states. Turkey as a secular state does
not allow religious schools except the Divinity faculties in the
secular university system. However the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
does not accept opening of a Orthodox Divinity department in any
Turkish university.

The Greek president also claimed that Turkey should take some steps
towards recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration and `fulfill its
obligations set down in the Customs Union agreement'.

"Turkey's EU process will be long, difficult and painful and in
addition to the fact that Turkey will experience inconsistencies, it
will also face strong internal resistance during this process,"
Papoulias added.

Turkish experts find Papoulias' approach `one-sided' and `partial'.
Kemal Tuzcu told the JTW that `the Greek President just asks and
wants, but offers nothing'. Similarly Dr. Sedat Laciner said `Greece
abuses Turkey's position in the EU process like the Armenians and
other anti-Turkey groups'. `Greece only demands. The Greek
politicians sometimes play for the domestic balances' Laciner added.

Dr. Laciner further said that Greece has serious human rights and
ethnic problems inside: `Turkish people in the Western Thrace face
severe human rights abuses. Greece is a EU member, yet the Brussels
doe not fulfill its duties regarding the human rights issues in
Greece. The EU had promised in 1980s and 1990s that the Greek
membership to the EU would not affect Turkey-EU relations. However
all the relations have been shaped by the Greek factor. Now the
Brussels took the Greek Cypriots inside with no solution on the
island. The Turkish Cypriots are outside but the Christian Cypriots
are now in. and now both Greek states abuses Turkey's difficulties
before the EU'.

By Melek GULLU (JTW)

[ramilseferov]

Gavur,I am a Turk and I know "to open ports and airports without recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration" is not logical.Our traitor government recognised southern Cyprus,but Turk Natıon didnt.
...........

And I also know about suffering of Western Thrace Turks.Also I grew up in this suffering that I mean I am Western Thrace Turk.

quote from your article;
"Turkey's EU process will be long, difficult and painful and in
addition to the fact that Turkey will experience inconsistencies, it
will also face strong internal resistance during this process,"
Papoulias added

I think Turkiye's EU politics is not reliable and not logical.Simply we can say They are from an other religion and culture.So one Moslem country is enemy for them.After all I dont support membership of Türkiye to EU

[Reincarnated Am]

remilseferov,

You say “there is no problem between turkey and Armenia”, yet you sign in with the name “remilseferov” and you have that coward’s picture as your avatar, what are you trying to say here?
If that coward is your hero, someone that brutally kills an Armenian officer while he was sleeping? Then I rest my case!

[Gavur]

Gavur,I am a Turk and I know "to open ports and airports without recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration" is not logical.Our traitor government recognised southern Cyprus,but Turk Natıon didnt.


And I also know about suffering of Western Thrace Turks.Also I grew up in this suffering that I mean I am Western Thrace Turk.



quote from your article;
"Turkey's EU process will be long, difficult and painful and in
addition to the fact that Turkey will experience inconsistencies, it
will also face strong internal resistance during this process,"
Papoulias added


I think Turkiye's EU politics is not reliable and not logical.Simply we can say They are from an other religion and culture.So one Moslem country is enemy for them.After all I dont support membership of Türkiye to EU

Do you think Turkish forces have a right to be there?
In whose land who are you not recognizing?

You must come to terms with that but still ask for justice.

I agree, you are part of that resistence it will take time

Forgot it ,relie on yourself by gathering all opinions on an event and then find a unique way to look at it thats yours and THEN form a concensus with others.
How does multi-religous even multi tongued people has lived together or as neighbors in the past and even today.by being open minded and learning/teaching with one another.
Maybe you need to teach them you are not the enemy
The enemy for all of us is closer then we think it's internal
It takes an open mind strong heart and positive communication

[Gavur]

Changing Turkish stance towards Northern Iraq; MIT meets with Barzani

View: Mehmet Y. Yilmaz
Is there a difference in the current Turkish approach to what has emerged in Northern Iraq following the American invasion? As you may remember, the Chief of the Army's General Staff, General Hilmi Ozkok, spoke of Massoud Barzani at a reception at Cankaya Palace in Ankara earlier this year, saying "The man used to be a tribal leader, and now he is a state president." With these comments, General Ozkok gave the first signal of a difference in Turkey's stance towards Northern Iraq.

Later, it was revealed in newspapers that two high level authorities from the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) traveled to Northern Iraq to meet with Barzani.

And, in the latest development, the Foreign Ministry in Ankara announced that it saw no problem with Turkish companies setting up flights into Northern Iraq for business.

This week's edition of Tempo magazine gives up a behind-the-curtains glimpse of the visit by MIT officials to Barzani.

Apparently, a close relationship between MIT Undersecretary Emre Taner and Northern Iraqi leader Massoud Barzani was the underlying reason behind the visit.

At the meeting, Barzani made some requests. Among these were interesting ideas, like the official Turkish recognition of a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq, an extension of a "double citizenship" (in the Turkish Republic) possibility to Kurdish residents of Northern Iraq, a student exchange between Turkey and Northern Iraq, and possible training of the Northern Iraqi Kurdish Army by the Turkey.

Taner, for his part, made it clear that he requested participation in an active and effective struggle against the PKK from Barzani.

Of course, it is never possible to verify every aspect of this type of news.

But it does appear that the Kurdish state in Northern Iraq is now accepted by Turkey as being a reality. What's more, I believe that we are seeing the first clues of policy change based on this acceptance these days.

I also believe that this news carried in Tempo is going to become one of the most argued over subjects in coming weeks.

Source: Hurriyet, Dec 2005

[Gavur]

Greece rejects Turkish plan

Molyviatis tells Straw that there is nothing new in Ankara’s Cyprus proposal

Greece has turned down Turkey's latest proposal for reopening talks in Cyprus, Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis told British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw during his visit to Athens yesterday.

Straw arrived in Greece on a whistle-stop tour that had already included visits to Nicosia and Ankara, where he lauded Turkey for its effort to restart the negotiation process over the future of Cyprus.

«I welcome the priority the Turkish government continues to give to finding a lasting, just and comprehensive agreement and your willingness to improve the overall atmosphere in the region,» Straw told Turkish businessmen.

Once in Athens, however, Molyviatis made it clear to the British foreign secretary that Greece did not support the initiative, which Ankara submitted to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday.

«This proposal does not differ from one made by Turkey last May, which did not lead to a solution,» Molyviatis said.

Ankara proposed that restrictions on Turkish-occupied Cyprus be dropped in return for Turkish ports and airports being opened to Cypriot ships and airplanes. Turkey also suggested that high-level talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots as well as Greece and Turkey be held by June.

«This is not the proper framework in which to discuss the Cyprus issue, which is an international matter, not a bilateral one,» said Molyviatis after his meeting with Straw.

Meanwhile, Cyprus lodged an official complaint with the European Commission after comments made in support of the Turkish proposals by Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

«The Commission welcomes efforts to achieve progress in the current deadlock with regard to the Cyprus problem,» Rehn said on Tuesday. Nicosia said it was particularly upset that Rehn had made a statement immediately after the plan was unveiled by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

It also questioned whether he was in a position to suggest the Commission had adopted the proposals before it had even had time to consider them.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100006_27/01/2006_65679