Isn’t it time to act in Cyprus?

Though no radical change in the distribution of seats in parliament is anticipated, the results of the election will be out by the time this edition of the TDN reaches its readers, and it will become clearer what government options are created by the Sunday election. Regardless of who wins, northern Cyprus must start to act with the awareness that it’s high time to do some things to change both itself as well as international perception of the Cyprus issue, which, thanks to the overwhelming “no” vote on the Greek Cypriot side of the island last April to a U.N. peace plan, has already improved significantly.

It’s high time for the Turkish Cypriots to stop crying that despite all its pledges the international community has left it out in the cold, a massive “yes” vote by Turkish Cypriots to the U.N. plan notwithstanding. Why should northern Cyprus wait for the Greek Cypriots to implement the U.N. plan? Isn’t it clear to everyone that sooner or later the U.N. peace plan will again be on the negotiating table and that if there is to be a settlement to the more than four-decade-old Cyprus problem it will still be within the guidelines of the same document?

Contrary to the expectations of the Greek Cypriot side for “improvements” in many parts of the plan’s text, we all can see that the overall spirit and balances of the plan will be retained.

Therefore, if the Turkish Cypriot side is particularly irritated with the short transition period for rehabilitation of the population that will be uprooted from their homes and workplaces in areas to be handed over to the Greek Cypriot side, why wait until the document is placed in front of us once again? Why shouldn’t we start implementing the plan step by step and get prepared for an eventual settlement? By doing so perhaps we will manage to decrease the pain that in the end we can’t escape.

We could start by changing the name of the state in northern Cyprus from the current Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the Turkish State of Cyprus, as was stated in the U.N. plan. We could start planning housing complexes for the population that will be uprooted if the plan is ever implemented. Those rehabilitation programs could be presented to Turkey, the European Union and the United States and their financial contributions sought so that northern Cyprus can prepare itself for a settlement. We could start amending legislation in northern Cyprus and achieve harmonization with the European Union as well as with the Greek Cypriot side — again as was foreseen in the U.N. plan.

The introduction of European standards in economy, industry and governance will be all significant steps from which northern Cyprus will benefit with or without a solution.

We may have prejudices against the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce due to its “defeatist” pro-settlement approaches, but a recent paper the chamber produced on steps to be taken to facilitate a settlement on the island must be read with careful eyes and an uncontaminated approach.

Perhaps it’s not yet the appropriate time for Turkey and the international community to act on Cyprus, but it’s high time for the Turkish Cypriots to act there.