Annan plan revisited

TUSIAD’s views were voiced by Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan at the opening of the meeting and by Cem Duna and other speakers towards the end. It is possible to roughly summarize what they said as follows: Cyprus is a 50-year-old problem. Even those countries that are closest to us do not recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC). The cost for the lack of solution is huge. It arrests our foreign policy and leads us to isolation. The Cyprus problem must definitely be resolved, no matter whether we are to join the EU or not. The Annan plan, in this sense, can constitute a basis for further negotiations. The plan is balanced. It offers political equality to the Turkish side. Bi-zonality is maintained by limiting the domestic politics to citizens. Weighted ballot systems are proposed to protect Turks in the legislative and executive. Greek Cypriots do not like the plan, while majority of Turks supports it. What is more, the opening of borders in the island has already proved that the two communities can live together. The government should return to its previous energetic policy for a solution in Cyprus. There is not much time left until May 2004. If the issue is not resolved by then and Greek Cypriots officially become EU member on behalf of the entire island, they will obstruct our membership. A solution that would be found later will not give the advantages to Turks that are offered by the Annan plan. However, if solution agreements that would be concluded in line with the Annan plan are annexed to the accession treaty of Cyprus in May 2004, special rights and protective measures for Turkish Cypriots will not be changed or eroded until Turkey becomes an EU member because they will surpass the EU regulations. Turkey wants to be an EU member. It can by no means accept a special status. The EU cannot avoid giving a date for accession talks to a Turkey that fulfills the Copenhagen criteria and brings solution in Cyprus. A Turkey outside the EU can protect Turkish Cypriots in economic sense after Cyprus joins the EU as well. Because since the entire Cyprus will join the Customs Union together with Turkey, the Turkish economy can be dominant over the economy of the southern Cyprus as well through investments.

The U.N. officials defended the Annan plan. They said the number of Turks that will be displaced under the plan is exaggerated; that most of Greek Cypriots that will be given the right to go to the north will not leave the south where they have settled; that, especially among the 24,000 Greek Cypriots that are above 65 and are given the right to return to north each together with a person accompanying them, the number of those to opt for returning to the north will be too little; that the real estate property to be returned to Greek Cypriots in the north will displace only ten percent of the Turkish Cypriot population, which is equal to 15,000 people. They also said that the Turkish side has too much lands as compared to its population; that the amount of land held by Turks will still be too much even after 8 percent of that land is given to Greek Cypriots with the solution; that 47,000 Turks living on the lands to be returned to Greek Cypriots will have to move to the north. It was understood from what they said that the number of Turkish Cypriots is calculated as 150,000; and that it is also considered that some 50,000 residents who have come from Anatolia will return.

It is understood that the United States too finds the Annan plan as balanced and fair; that it does not consider any alternative solution other than the Annan plan; and that it is preparing to put considerable pressure on the Turkish side in order to get the negotiations resumed soon. In the same way, those who are close to the EU stance strongly emphasize that negotiations should start at once; and that, without forgetting the Aegean problem, giving a date to Turkey for the beginning of accession talks will be seriously risked if Cyprus issue is not resolved by May 2004. Though finding the Denktas’ steps positive, the United States, the EU, the UN and Greece point out that solution is more important and a bigger priority.

I hope I have not done injustice to anyone’s views in this brief summary.