Brussels, 10/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - If Turkey does not open its ports and airports to Cypriot companies before the end of 2009, as is required by the Ankara Protocol on extension of the customs union that the Turkish government is refusing to apply to Cyprus, then the European Union should consider “beefing up” the sanctions it took in 2006 but without necessarily suspending Turkey's EU accession talks, explained the Cypriot Republic's Permanent Representative to the EU, Andreas D. Mavroyiannis, in an interview with this newsletter on 9 July 2009. He said that this intensely political decision should be taken at the highest level. Following Turkey's refusal to comply with the obligations arising from the Ankara Protocol, the Council of the EU decided in December 2006 to suspend eight of the thirty-five negotiations chapters in Turkey's accession talks. The decision will be reviewed by member states in December 2009 based on a European Commission report. If there is no change in the situation over the next few months, the EU27 may note in December that Turkey has not respected its obligations and may decide to consider the lessons to be drawn from this by the EU, explained Ambassador Mavroyiannis. The Cypriot government has not yet decided what position to take on this crucial issue, “but personally speaking, I would say that we need to find some way of enhancing pressure on Turkey. Something between maintaining the suspension of the eight chapters, which is the strict minimum since there has been no compliance, and beefing up the measures,” commented the ambassador. Simply halting the accession talks would be a difficult decision to reach because it would have to be taken unanimously by all 27 member states, but it would also run counter to Cyprus' special interest. Cyprus backs the idea of Turkey joining the EU in the future as long as its meets all the criteria. “Cyprus is the last member state to wish a stop of the talks because we would lose the leverage on the reform process in Turkey as well as on the Cyprus issue,” explained the ambassador.
Direct trade with Northern Cyprus. Turkey's chief EU accession negotiator Egemen Bagis said in Brussels at the end of last month that direct trade between the EU and the northern section of Cyprus was a sine qua non for the opening of Turkish ports and airports to Cypriots (see EUROPE 9929). Also visiting Brussels at the end of last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he could make “no unilateral concession” over the Ankara Protocol and expected beforehand a gesture from the EU to put an end to the economic isolation of the northern part of Cyprus. The scam's draft 2004 regulation on direct trade is still being blocked at the EU Council of Ministers by Cyprus. In the light of this blockage, what can be expected of Cyprus over the question of free trade? Andreas D. Mavroyiannis did not mince his words: “Nothing.” “Clearly this is an obligation by Turkey and I cannot accept that it is transformed into an obligation by Cyprus or into a concession to be made by the EU. This has nothing to do with it. This is their obligation, their commitment. We are not going to discuss among EU member states on what we could offer to the Turks. It's up to them. If they want to unfreeze the eight suspended chapters, they'll have to abide to their commitments. That's it. No way to discuss this issue in connection with anything else”.
Turkey justifies its non-application of the Ankara Protocol to Cyprus by the fact that because of Cyprus' veto, the EU has allegedly failed to respect its 2004 commitment to end the economic isolation of the northern part of the island of Cyprus. Andreas M. Mavroyiannis refutes this. After the 2004 referendum, “the EU decided to promote the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community in order to promote the unification of the Island. This was the decision. All the rest are Turkish interpretations.” After 2004, the EU adopted a regulation on the granting of €259 million in financial aid. “The Cypriot government is also spending an important amount of money without getting anything in exchange,” explained the ambassador. He also challenges Turkey's claim that the northern part of Cyprus is economically isolated: “Between 2004 and now, the per capita income of the Turkish Cypriots has been multiplied by four to be today €12,000. So, where is the isolation? The discussion on the isolation is purely political and has nothing to do with the economic development on the ground.”
Energy. Cyprus is also preventing the opening of talks on the energy chapter of Turkey's EU accession talks because of incidents in 2008 in the seas around Cyprus between Turkish warships and Cypriot ships exploring for oil. “You cannot expect Cyprus to accept the opening of that chapter while the Turks threaten us when we try to explore our natural resources,” explained Ambassador Mavroyiannis. He said that respect, behaving as good neighbours and the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes under the Charter of the United Nations were “fundamental parameters” in the accession talks, and they also had to be respected by Turkey. “It's up to them. If they withdraw their threats and promise not to threaten any more, the chapter could be opened,” explained the ambassador. The fact that Turkey is trying to connect up opening of the energy chapter with future cooperation between Turkey and the EU (and also with the Nabucco pipeline project) is not viewed favourably by Nicosia: “This is blackmail. I don't see any connection between the opening of the energy chapter in the accession talks and the broader picture of energy cooperation and energy security. They have nothing to do with each other.”
Reunification of the island of Cyprus. The current talks between the Greek and Turkish communities on the island of Cyprus under the auspices of the United Nations may succeed, as long as there is genuine political will on all sides, including Ankara, said Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the EU. “I am not blaming the Turkish Cypriot side, but the problem is mainly with Turkey. Apparently Ankara is not ready to change anything in its position,” explained the ambassador. He said Turkey wanted a solution to the Cyprus issue to be based on a “new partnership of two sovereign states”. Cyprus rejects this categorically. We cannot accept the idea of two states in Cyprus, stated Ambassador Mavroyiannis, adding that Nicosia could agree to the idea of a “bi-zonal bi-communal federation”. “We need one state, one international personality and one citizenship in Cyprus,” he added. The most important thing is for the future state to function normally and continue to speak with a single strong voice within the EU, explained the ambassador. The aim should be to ensure application of all EU laws across the entire territory of Cyprus: “This should be the objective even if it might be necessary to have some timely limited transitional measures or safeguard measures in order to have time to adapt. We are not ready to accept permanent derogations. No way to accept anything that goes outside the acquis communautaire,” concluded Andreas D. Mavroyiannis. (H.B./transl.fl)