A letter from Cyprus

With a bit of surprise, I am watching how Turkey is turning invert and becoming estranged from democratization and civil overtures and how the governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP as you put it, has reached the limits of is political vision.

In Brussels last week we met with top-level officials. I found an EU stance that has completely plummeted to the depths of its own problems and afraid of carrying a huge potential like Turkey due to the seriousness of its problems and turning this emotional reflex into a political attitude. I observed this first time I should say.

Turkey, unfortunately, is consisting now of a more military and more anti-democratic AKP in the eye of the EU. For instance, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn’s marginalization on the Cyprus issue is an indicator...

As for the Cyprus issue, let me write it down in various headings:

1. Negotiations have not really started. Both sides are presenting their own views. Nevertheless we cannot say that there is no progress or accord. In some chapters, like Judiciary or Legislature, sides are almost completely in agreement.

2. Discussions before the public through the press put us in a hard spot. Caution and refraining from this sort of publicity we offered to the Greek Cypriot leader Dimitri Christophias were regrettably not accepted.

3. The AKP has provided full political support to settlement talks and for the solution of the issue. Questioning after concerns felt here over internal developments of Turkey revealed the utmost support is still given by the government to the talks. This is a crystal-clear fact... Apparently, the Turkish Foreign Ministry is not pleased with the process since TRNC’s President Mehmet Ali Talat is the one who is making decisions though they work together.

4. Christophias is acting constructive to a certain degree. He is drawing a great deal of attention in international community and has more positive political image, compared to that of the Turkish side. It seems that he is eager inside, in meetings, too. But Christophias says, "I am not in a hurry, I cannot be." He reasons that Greek Cypriots are not ready for a settlement.

5. President Talat carries a heavy burden. He very well knows about Turkey’s role in the solution of the Cyprus issue. For this reason, Talat is trying to act with the thought of not causing any difficulty to the AKP’s determination for solution of the issue before the eyes of the Turkish public opinion. This attitude gives an image of a leader who is too pro-Turkey and not enough pro-solution. Compared to his 2004 period, he has turned into a leader hard to understand.

Talat’s attitude is causing cold relations with Christophias and a certain degree of loss of political prestige in the world’s public opinion. (I would like to bring President Talat’s speech at Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe to your attention.) But if it is necessary to look at his posture at the table and texts he signed and then make an evaluation, we know that he was the most constructive, understanding, empathetic and effective one at the negotiation table. But this is not being reflected outside. As you may know, Christophias, a while ago, said Talat was talking differently inside and outside the room and we had reacted against the Cypriot Greek leader but he was partially right.

After all these however, I am of the opinion that Christophias actually wants to set the score with Turkey! The Cypriot Greek leader is after increasing his power in society by being successful in this payoff. First of all, Christophias is AKEL’s leader and in this process he cannot definitely accept any loss of vote for AKEL. His party is a goal for Christophias and at this point he could even sacrifice the Cyprus issue for AKEL if necessary, as he openly supported the late leader Tassos Papadopoulos. Right now, he prefers to act together with Papadopoulos’ party DIKO, rather than resolving the Cyprus issue as soon as possible by acting with DISI, the party of the former leader Glafcos Klerides having 35 percent of votes and supporting him in the Cyprus issue.

This has a simple reason because Christophias knows AKEL will never steal any votes of DISI. The only way to gain votes for him is nationalist central right, that is DIKO; and he knows it very well. As setting the score with Turkey is a "foolish" political attitude for DISI administration and a "must" for DIKO. In this sense, it shouldn’t be difficult to see that Christophias is a hero or a pawn of the anti-Turkey EU countries on one side and a nationalist Cypriot Greek community on the other.

I think Christophias will use the ports issue that will be on the agenda during the EU summit at the end of 2009 as a trump card. However, setting the score with Turkey is an obstacle before the solution and that’s another issue... We also know that Christophias’ insisting on offshore oil research in the Mediterranean will push a reactive country like Turkey toward a negative direction very easily.

The ancient Cyprus issue has become a deadlock finally and perhaps this is something desirable for some people...

Lately, liberal intellectuals in Turkey are taking a distance stance toward the Cyprus issue as far as I see. I wish I am wrong but this is how I feel. Articles announcing that the Cyprus issue cannot be resolved are quite meaningful in this sense.

However, for both democratic circles in Turkey and for TRNC it is necessary to take side with the president in this period. I believe that there is still a democratic pro-EU group here that is worth to be supported.

Best regards"