MGK keeps silent on two critical issues

In a single sentence, it was noted that the discussion during the meeting centered on Iraq and security. If that was all, nothing would have happened, but the statement also included denials on any discussions taking place on the Orthodox Christian Seminary School.

The truth behind the statements is this. Both the military and the civilian members of the council are aware that Turkey is faced with two important issues.

First is Cyprus. Turkey is not against a single state on Cyprus, but wants the unification to include an often repeated "just and permanent solution." Everyone expects the Cyprus matter to rise again at this critical juncture in Turkish-European Union relations.

The MGK has noted the following points.

Turkey is faced with the possibility of officially recognizing the Greek Cypriot administration as part of the Customs Union and the relations with the EU.
The Greek Cypriot state holds a veto card on Turkey’s negotiations with the EU.
Greek Cypriots, with EU support, may try to force a solution that includes more than the Annan plan offered to them before Dec. 2004. The Greek Cypriots may call for the withdrawal of Turkish troops, the lifting of the guarantorship of Turkey and the inclusion of the KKTC into the Cyprus state as a minority. If such a thing happens, all efforts should be directed at the lifting of all embargoes on the KKTC, and nothing should be done to encourage the other side before this objective is realized.
Despite all the rejection, the other important issue discussed was the requests of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy.

The requests made by the Patriarchy is for a special status, while the Lausanne Treaty set out equal, not special, status for the minorities. This also violates the Constitution’s equality principle.
While these requests are made by a constitutionally recognized minority, it will mean tacit support for the Patriarchy’s efforts for world leadership. Such a request is both impossible and a crime in the secular Turkish Republic.
The Constitution says that religious education can only take place under state supervision. The Constitution also allows the establishment of non-profit foundation universities. However, the Patriarchy is not a foundation and its request for a seminary is both a crime and unconstitutional.
Law stipulates that foreign students at private schools cannot be more than 20 percent. The number of Greek citizens in Turkey has decreased considerably to around 2,000, and almost all of them are elderly. The number of students coming from this community will not justify the opening of the seminary.
According to Turkish law, the tertiary part of the seminary school in Heybeliada can only be opened under a university and with the Higher Education Board (YOK) as the supreme authority. According to the principle of equality between the Greek minority living in Turkey and Turks living in Western Thrace outlined in the Lausanne Treaty, such measures can only be applied if the Turkish minority enjoys the same rights.
In short, Turkey cannot do anything about either of these issues until after the release of the Progress report. That’s why the officers and civilians agreed not to release any public comment about neither of them.