Kathimerini: EU Involvement Shifting Towards Ending Turkish Cypriot Isolation

Greek Cypriot newspaper Kathimerini reported that the EU’s involvement in the Cyprus problem is increasingly evolving towards the lifting of the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, describing the development as entering a “boomerang trajectory”.

The weekly newspaper carried the issue on its front page under the headline, “European Involvement Becomes a Boomerang on Ending the Isolation of Turkish Cypriots,” with subheadings claiming that Turkey wants to use the EU’s involvement in the Cyprus problem to promote direct trade, direct flights and the Turkish Cypriot side’s international contacts.

According to the report, Ankara is pursuing a strategy aimed at using EU involvement to shift the focus away from the substance of the Cyprus problem, as advocated by the Greek Cypriot side, and towards ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots.

The newspaper said Turkey is referring to the European Commission’s frozen 2004 proposal on direct trade as part of this strategy.

Kathimerini described the proposed regulation on direct trade as an initiative that could “lay the foundations for the Taiwanisation of the occupied part of Cyprus” and create conditions for the de facto recognition of the Turkish Cypriot administration.

ANKARA RAISES ISSUE AT HIGHEST EU LEVELS

According to information cited by the newspaper, Ankara has conveyed its position to Brussels at the highest political level, referring to the EU’s April 2004 decisions stating that the Union was determined to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots.

The report claimed that Rafaele Fitto, appointed as the EU’s representative for Cyprus, had become a channel for conveying demands concerning the lifting of the isolation of Turkish Cypriots.

According to EU sources cited by Kathimerini, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also aware of these demands.

The newspaper also linked the issue to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ recent statements, arguing that Guterres has referred to ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and has made agreement on the methodology for a possible expanded Cyprus conference a condition for moving forward.

It said Guterres’ approach was being interpreted as elevating the methodology of the talks to an official preparatory requirement before giving stronger support to a multilateral conference.

According to the report, diplomatic circles interpret this as a new UN condition that goes beyond updating confidence-building measures and incorporates Ankara’s demand for guarantees regarding the future of the Turkish Cypriot community in the event of another failure in the negotiations.

ERHÜRMAN’S FOUR-POINT PROPOSAL

The newspaper argued that the positions of Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot side are reflected in four points put forward by President Tufan Erhürman.

According to Kathimerini, these proposals seek assurances from the UN and the international community that, in the event of another failed negotiation process, the Turkish Cypriot side would not simply return to the existing status quo and that its isolation would be lifted.

The newspaper said this would seek to legitimise not only the European Council’s frozen direct-trade proposal, but also direct flights and direct relations between Turkish Cypriots and the international community.

It also recalled its previous reports that UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin had repeatedly encouraged Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides to accept the Turkish Cypriot side’s “3Ds” — direct trade, direct flights and direct international contacts — as part of efforts to return to negotiations.

According to the newspaper, Holguin had also made clear in an interview with Kathimerini that Christodoulides knows very well what he needs to do to restart the Cyprus process, indicating that she expects additional gestures from the Greek Cypriot side.

“THE COMMISSION’S SINFUL PAST”

In a separate section titled “The Commission’s Sinful Past Now Encourages Ankara”, Kathimerini referred to developments dating back to 2004, when the European Commission took steps following the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan Plan and the accession of Cyprus to the EU.

The newspaper argued that these steps created the prospect of autonomous relations between the Turkish Cypriot side and the EU and raised expectations in Ankara.

It recalled that the European Commission had proposed establishing direct trade relations between the Turkish Cypriot side and the EU, a proposal strongly opposed by the Greek Cypriot side.

According to Kathimerini, the proposal could have legitimised both trade and ports in the north and effectively turned the Turkish Cypriot community into a “Taiwan of the Mediterranean”.

The newspaper argued that the Commission’s “mistake” at the time was the legal basis it selected for the proposal.

It claimed that the Commission had based the initiative on Article 133 of the EU Treaty — now Article 207 — which, according to the newspaper, would have allowed the EU to treat the Turkish Cypriot administration as a third country with which it could establish commercial relations.

The newspaper further argued that, under the proposal put forward by then European Commissioner Günter Verheugen, the Turkish Cypriot side would effectively have been granted a commercial status similar to Taiwan and “de facto recognition”.