Since we’re Turks…

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) says the plan is not negotiable. When they make a change favoring us, they immediately compensate the Greek Cypriots. Like it sits on a divine and just balance that should not be tempered with.

What can we do about it, not forgetting that our aim is to solve the Cyprus issue and become a member of the EU?

There seem to be only two options, the first being a solution of the Cyprus issue and the Turkish Cypriots entering the EU with their Greek counterparts on May 1, 2004. In this scenario, we solve the Cyprus issue but still do not necessarily guarantee a date to start accession negotiations with the EU. This plan sees the Turkish Cypriots being able to protect themselves in an EU in which Turkey is not a member. That’s why it is necessary to make amendments to the Annan plan favoring the Turks.
These amendments could be listed as:

* The new state structure of Cyprus should be based on the Swiss model of homogeneous federation akin to the system of 1960. Former U.N. Secretaries-General de Cuellar and Boutros-Ghali had also proposed a system giving veto powers to the president and vice president over important issues and an asymmetric federation, under which both sides would have separate elections.
* Both states should be considered co-founders.
* The Turkish zone should be 29 percent plus in reality as it is on paper, and the border should run straight.
* Greek Cypriots allowed to enter the north should be limited to 10 percent of the Turkish population. Maruni villagers entering the north should be included in this 10 percent.
* The total area of the Greek Cypriot properties that will be returned should not exceed 10 percent of total private property in the north. Compensation to be paid after property transfers should be paid over a long period of time, and the Turkish Foundation and Sultan properties in the south should be cut from the total compensation to be given to the Greeks.
* The article that provides special privileges to countries should not be affected by EU regulations. In other words, rights and privileges granted to Greece and Britain should also be granted to Turkey.
* Protocol that amends the Guarantor Agreement should protect the articles that favor Turkish Cypriots from EU regulations. If such a process starts, the Turkish zone should be able to withdraw from both the federation of Cyprus and the European Union.
* Turkish security services protecting small Turkish communities should be three times as large as Greek security services and should be able to move freely within the Turkish zone.

Under these conditions, Turkey’s guarantee would have to be applied to be compatible with the new agreement and Turkish Cypriot community would be protected. If Turkey becomes an EU member, these conditions favoring the island’s Turks can be removed and Cyprus can be normalized.

The only defect in this scenario is that Turkey has solved the Cyprus issue but still has not received a date to start accession negotiations with the EU. No matter how good an agreement Turkish government signs on Cyprus, if it does not receive a timetable from the EU it will be faced with a serious political backlash domestically. That’s why there should be an alternative scenario.

The Turkish side could insist on the KKTC being admitted to the EU at the same time as Turkey, after singing an agreement based on the Annan plan before May 1, 2004. Greek Cyprus could enter the EU representing the whole of Cyprus and all embargos on the KKTC would be lifted. Preparations for solutions would then go hand-in-hand with EU harmonization.

In this scenario, amendments to the Annan plan would be limited to articles protecting Turks, and consequently it will not need a complete modification. In other words, most articles favoring the Greek Cypriots could be retained.

The government, instead of facing a major political backlash, would be praised for both solving the Cyprus issue and being admitted to the EU.

Since we are Turks, I don’t think it’s wrong to put Turkish interests in front, is it, my "liberal" friends?