CYPRUS SOLUTION WILL BE FOUND…

EU officials are now trying to find a way to resolve the problem of derogations, which is considered to be the most critical issue of the four-way Cyprus summit in Switzerland.

The derogations, which Ankara considers a sine qua non for a settlement on the island, are known in Turkish as ‘restrictions,’ ‘exceptions,’ or ‘privileges’. It concerns not only the Turkish and Greek sides but also the EU.

The derogations, normally a quite technical issue, can be summed up as follows: The EU has its own body of legislation in line with its goals and philosophy. Every EU citizen has the right to move freely and settle anywhere in the European Union, get a job, move money around, and make investments. The EU has added certain temporary restrictions into its legislation for the 10 soon-to-be members (as of May 1), taking into account their special conditions during the membership talks. The 15 present EU members approved these countries’ accession documents together with a number of derogations. However the restrictions which Ankara considers sine qua non for a settlement are not included in the EU legislation, which is why the Turkish side is concerned about their possible loss of identity on the island. Turks fear that freedom of movement might spur a Greek Cypriot rush into the northern part, which in the long term could result in the end of the Turkish Cypriots’ distinct community.

One expects the Greek side to oppose Ankara’s demands. However, the EU itself is standing against them as well. In other words, the EU accepts such restrictions when they are temporary but strongly opposes them if the Turkish side insists on their permanence, which would contradict the basic principles of the Union.

Will this issue be resolved in Brussels? Clearly, the EU will never approve such permanent restrictions. However, Brussels has witnessed similar bargaining in the past. I believe a solution will certainly be found there …”