Why is Papadopoulos Crying..

1.Turkey can conquer the entire island by launching an operation like that of 1974 — as some politicians then demanded.

2.Turkey can annex the northern side of the island.

3.Turkey can strive to assure world recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC].

Although the first two alternatives have been suggested from time to time, they have never been considered as serious policies, and Turkey has been insistent on the last alternative. You do not negotiate on the ‘maximum’ approach but dictate. Then your power does not give others the opportunity to negotiate. That was what happened 400 years ago when Cyprus was conquered. Now, one point also being missed is that Turkey’s position no longer allows dictation but requires negotiation. When you start to negotiate, you try to reach the optimal, which is the best option under the present circumstances.

I suppose that the majority of Turkish citizens want Cyprus to remain under our administration like it was during the Ottoman period, as if we never gave up our right to sovereignty in Lausanne, or as if the TRNC is recognized not only by Turkey but by the entire world. However, these options are not realistic, and the only country that recognized the TRNC after us, Bangladesh, withdrew its recognition just a few days later due to American pressure. The Annan Plan, achieved through a careful balancing of these variables, is optimal for Ankara. That is why [Greek Cypriot leader Tassos] Papadopoulos tearfully declared in his carefully dramatized speech that he will not succumb to having the state he controls becoming a ‘section.’ After his anger at the Zurich and London talks on April 1, 1962, the anniversary of the foundation of the Cyprus Hellenic Liberation Organization (EOKA), and saying, ‘We will make weapons out of the chains we have broken and build a bridge over the gulf that separates Cyprus from Greece with these weapons,’ Papadopoulos now insists that the referendum should be put off until after May. He knows quite well that pressures will ease after Cyprus joins the European Union (EU) on May 1 and it will be possible then to negotiate a new plan.

The EU’s optimism that the plan will be approved, the communist AKEL Party’s unexpected demand to delay the referendum and the threat to completely reject the plan otherwise, are answers to those in Turkey who are acting as if the plan is in the same category as the Treaty of Sevres. We see the Greek side unified internally, nationalists and communists cooperating to delay the issue until after May 1, and only to reopen the negotiations then.

The TRNC side should accept the plan on the April 24 referendum, and Turkey should stress that the Annan Plan will not be renegotiated if the Greek side rejects it. Just as it happened in Ireland’s referendum on the Treaty of Nice, it should be the EU’s responsibility to keep repeating the referendum until the Greek Cypriots accept it. Brussels, which reduced the possibility of the Greek side accepting the plan, by illegally initiating membership talks, should be responsible for persuading the Greek Cypriots.