Greek-Cypriots Will not to Turn Down the Chance for Peace

Convening for the second time under the leadership of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the National Security Council (MGK) met yesterday to discuss the latest developments in the Cyprus talks. After examining the Plan, the MGK will reconvene next Monday. In a statement issued by the Council yesterday, sincere support was given to the government for its efforts toward a permanent and just solution to the Cyprus issue. At the suggestion of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, the Parliament will meet on April 6th for a special Cyprus session. The Speaker of the Parliament, Bulent Arinc, said about the talks, "for the first time, a diplomatic victory was won with the efforts of a Turkish government."

Meanwhile, a high-ranking diplomatic expert said that to the contrary of Greek complaints, the Annan plan includes considerably just conditions and the Greek people will not turn down the chance for peace. Attention is drawn to the fact that the islander Greeks will gain more by approving the Plan. At this point, it is anticipated that international pressure will play a facilitating role in the direction of the solution. As a matter of fact, the European Union (EU) warned Greek-Cypriots to say yes to the referendum; otherwise, international pressure will increase and the island will enter the Union divided. In addition, the U.S. and England sent similar warnings to the Greeks.

Elsewhere, Greek-Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, in his first statement after the negotiations, expressed his reaction saying, "Not just because of Turkish-Cypriots but also because of Turkey’s unwillingness to come to a compromise, we could not reach a conclusion."

On the most critical day of the negotiations in Switzerland, the conciliation was driven to a tougher point because the Greek side continued to object and the Turkish side started a diplomatic attack to protect the Plan. Moments before the end of the summit, islander Greeks refuted the referendum saying, "the plan cannot be accepted." Then, it was Greece’s turn to convince the Greek-Cypriots. Meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush called Erdogan and said, "don’t worry about it, I assigned Mr. Powell to the job." The crisis was solved at the last moment.

The Greeks’ demand that the Karpaz region be completely given to them disturbed Turkey a great deal. This demand was conveyed by U.N. Special Envoy to Cyprus, Alvara de Soto, not by E.U. Enlargement Commissioner, Günther Verheugen, as reported in the media. The Greek side offered to give Guzelyurt to the Turkish side in return for the Karpaz region and some flexibility on the issue of Turkish troops on the island. But, once they were told, "If you continue to insist on this, this business over," the demand was never discussed again.

Gul told reporters in brief that the agreement will be included in the E.U.’s acquis communitaire and its adaptation will immediately be put into action. Then, the approval process for the agreement in the E.U. parliaments will be started. However, the temporary nature of the agreement terms is stressful to Ankara. Verheugen said on the subject that limiting the terms to 15 years will allow the Greek-Cypriots to say ‘yes’ in the referendum.