Greek Cypriots bitter over EU’s talks with Turkey
By Andrew Borowiec
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
December 20, 2004
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Frustrated and bitter, Greek Cypriots saw the
outcome of last week’s European Union summit as a blow to their
aspirations and a major boost to the European ambitions of their
archenemy Turkey.
Some politicians described the situation as a “complete catastrophe,”
and editorials predicted other setbacks for the Greek-Cypriot majority
of this divided Mediterranean island.
The EU summit approved the start in October of membership negotiations
with Turkey, a process that will require at least 10 years and involve
numerous hurdles. As a new EU member, Cyprus could have vetoed the
decision, but did not, despite the urging of some 60 percent of
Greek Cypriots.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hailed on his return
home from Brussels as “the conqueror of the EU” and “the new star of
the EU,” commented the Cyprus Mail. But the Greek-Cypriot delegation
returned to Nicosia “glum-faced and mumbling words of unconvincing
satisfaction.”
“For weeks, the president’s lieutenants waxed lyrical about our power
of veto,” the newspaper wrote, referring to Greek-Cypriot President
Tassos Papadopoulos. “We could still have vetoed, but we didn’t,
proving that while we have the right of veto, to exercise it is not
as easy in the face of the full force of power politics.”
“The summit has starkly exposed the realities of our position,”
the newspaper concluded.
According to some diplomats, the summit’s decision implied growing
international sympathy for Turkey and a lack of interest in Greek
Cypriots’ long-standing demand that the island be reunited on their
terms.
The Cyprus issue — and Turkey’s refusal to recognize the
Greek-Cypriot administration on the island — had threatened to
capsize the summit. Under a carefully crafted compromise formula,
Turkey agreed to sign a customs union protocol with the 10 recently
admitted EU members, including Cyprus.
But Mr. Erdogan said bluntly that such a gesture did not imply
recognition.
Cyprus was forced to accept the uncomfortable formula.
Turkey, which has some 35,000 troops on the island, is the only backer
of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which governs 37
percent of the territory.
According to Greek-Cypriot parliament member Marios Matsakis, the EU
decision means that there will be “no recognition, no withdrawal of
Turkish troops, no recognition of the Armenian genocide.”
Turkey successfully opposed the inclusion in the summit agenda of
the Cyprus problem or of the World War I massacres of Armenians by
the Ottoman Empire, which some countries wanted to use to prevent
Turkey from being admitted to the EU accession process.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress