Turkish Republic of N. Cyprus’s Isolation Becomes History

The Corepers of the European Commission are set to enable EU citizens to travel directly to TRNC, to have TRNC produce exported to EU countries, and enabling Cyprus-born Turks to circulate freely. The Green Line regulations providing the export of TRNC goods over the Green line, will reportedly be issued Thursday morning. The EU is reportedly preparing another project to enable TRNC to carry out direct exports to the third countries.

The regulations provide;

– Direct travels by EU citizens to the North and cross from here to the South, without “Facing any problems” as the Greek Cypriot section did not allow people to cross from the North to the South, saying that TRNC was illegal.

– Removal of quotas on such trade goods like citrus, fish and mines and the partial transfer of the Authorization Document of the South, to the EU Commission, about the delivery of these goods to the South and their export to EU countries.

– Removal of restrictions of Cyprus-born TRNC citizens to cross over the Green Line and work in the South.

– Direct cooperation between the European Commission and TRNC, thus ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot state, for the first time.

Authorization on the Green Line belongs to EU in the passage of goods, but to Greek Cypriots in the passage of men. The agreement reached by EU does not alow any Greek-Greek Cypriot veto.

Meanwhile a Turkish diplomat told Hurriyet’s Fatih Altayli that “Let us never mention political recognition of TRNC at the moment and spoil everything. This is the last point. We should not mention it now. The priority must be lifting the flight ban. Then we shall work to lift the trade embargo. Acceptance of travel documents is the next step. All these will mean informal recognition any way.”