The strategy of the status quo in Cyprus

Because the agreement in New York included an acceptance by both sides that Kofi Annan would personally resolve any outstanding disagreements as he saw fit, so that the so-called "Annan plan" could go to a referendum on both sides of Cyprus. It was the first time the concept of referendum was accepted by Rauf Denktas and that was rightly considered to be a great leap forward.

But, nevertheless, I had written on Feb. 24th here in my column at the Daily News that "we should not relax in Cyprus." Why? Because my belief is that "it is much more than a conflict in Cyprus" we have at hand and it is not only "the Greeks of Greece and Cyprus" we have to negotiate and struggle with for a final solution in Cyprus. The Greeks have their own "reasons" for not accepting the Annan plan but our reasons are much more internal and at a higher level.

The negoiations over Cyprus are a struggle within Turkey in two respects:

1. The final phase of negotiations will help to decide whether the "pro-EU" or "anti-EU" contingents will lead the country i.e. whether Turkey will close herself to the world or open herself totally.

2. The outcome of Cyprus will also help to finalize whether the selected government or the appointed civilian and military – largely military – bureaucracy will govern.

Beyond these two facts are some further issues:
1. Who will own the very valuable land and houses captured from the Cypriot Greeks in the so-called military operations of 1974 is not open and clear in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

2) Some monetary transactions were carried out from Turkey to the KKTC that were not officially recorded. The possibility that these may become public after a settlement is something not desired at all by the status quo.

So what is yet to be done by status quo? They know that it is too late now either to prevent Kofi Annan from "filling in the blanks" or from holding the referendum.

The only way to prevent peace at the Island is to make the "no" vote win in the referendum. Who can vote "no" in the KKTC?

The Turks imported to the Island from Turkey!

The recent elections have shown in my eyes that they represent around the 50 percent of the voters and they are the group who will not gain all the rights of EU membership if the island enters the EU on May 1st.

They are also a group that can be easily threatened. "They will kick you off the island after an agreement." They are also a group mostly brought to the island and given a house and a job by the representatives of the status quo. They feel that they owe to Rauf Denktas and the Turkish Army.

The status quo will use every opportunity to drive home the message — No solution is the only solution for you! — to this group, just as they did last week during two events in Ankara.

Look the military, they say, even if they have already become dinosaurs, those politicians who helped you to settle in Cyprus (Ecevit, Erbakan and even Demirel) do not like the Annan plan, thus make your decision accordingly!

There are tough days waiting for both Turkey and the KKTC!