Eurovision song contest sparks Greek Cypriot recognition debate

Following the victory of Turkish pop star Sertab Erener in last year’s Eurovision song contest with her song "Everyway That I Can" held in Latvia, Turkey became eligible to host 2004’s contest.

State Radio and Television (TRT) recently asked the Foreign Ministry for opinions on how to refer to the Greek Cypriot contestant and Greek Cyprus as a country as the official broadcaster of the contest this year.

Turkey does not recognize the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot administration as the government of Cyprus and has ties only with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), which lacks international recognition.

On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said the TRT’s description of the Greek Cypriot contestant and of Greek Cyprus would not say anything about Turkey’s official position.

"TRT is an autonomous institution and the adjective that it will use in the contest will not bind Turkey. It will only be a geographical definition," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan told reporters.

He did not say if the Foreign Ministry has presented any specific opinion on the issue to the TRT.

The Greek Cypriot administration is joining the EU as the Cyprus Republic on May 1. Last Saturday, a U.N. plan to reunite the Turkish and Greek sections of the island ahead of its EU accession collapsed because of Greek Cypriot rejection.

Turkey is an EU candidate and how its relations with an EU country that it does not recognize will be shaped in the post-May 1 era stands before Turkish policy makers as a question.