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Turkish Cypriots want federal solution:Talat
Proposed federation to ensure communal equality; Pakistan’s support
highly appreciated
Interview
Gauhar Zahid Malik, Executive Editor
Nicosia—President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) says his community wants to find a federal solution to
the Cyprus issue.
He was expressing his views in an exclusive interview with Executive
Editor of Pakistan Observer in the backdrop of ongoing efforts for a
negotiated settlement of the Cyprus problem.
The TRNC president said, in the proposed federation, there would be
two constituent states of equal status. “The two communities will be
politically equal. As in all federations, some powers will be with
federal government and some with the constituent states. This
partnership will have a single personality. So instead of
confederation where there are two or more sovereign states in our
federation, we envisage one single international personality.”
To a question he said, following the change in the Greek Cypriot
leadership, the two sides agreed to come together and initiate
negotiations. He elaborated: “Now negotiations are going on. At the
beginning of the negotiations, the solution has been defined as a
bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality. This
partnership will have a Federal Government with a single
international personality. Turkish Cypriot constituent state as well
as Greek Cypriot constituent state will be of equal status. We have
been trying to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem
for two years. We initiated the negotiations on 3 September 2008.
The main target was to solve the problem by the end of 2009.
However, seemingly it was not possible to do this in such a short
time. Our target has shifted to the beginning of 2010.
Giving background of the Cyprus issue, President Talat said: “The
present phase of Cyprus problem started in 1963 by the Greek Cypriot
attempt to expel the Turkish Cypriots from all the institutions of
the Republic of Cyprus and get rid of Turkish Cypriots and have the
opportunity to annex the island to Greece so that the long cause of
the Greek Cypriot side and Greece - ENOSIS - was going to be
achieved. Of course the conditions did not help this end. Turkish
Cypriots resisted. They refused to surrender and for eleven years
from 1963 to 1974, Turkish Cypriots established their own
administration in dispersed enclaves scattered throughout the island
and tried to survive. In 1974, the junta in Greece, together with
the extremist Greek Cypriot nationalists organised a coup d’état and
overthrew the then government of Makarios with the aim to annex
Cyprus to Greece and reach ENOSIS. Turkey, as one of the guarantors
of Republic of Cyprus, in order to prevent this development
intervened. By that intervention, the island has been divided into
two. Turkish Cypriots have gathered in the North while the Greek
Cypriots in the South. Hence, the basis of bi-zonality was
established.”
He rejected the impression that Turkish Cypriots were against
solution. He said, “in 2004, in simultaneous referendum organised
for approval of a settlement plan prepared by the UN Secretary
General, Greek Cypriots said “No” whereas Turkish Cypriots
overwhelmingly said “Yes”. The former perception of Turkish Cypriots
that they were not in favour of solution somehow collapsed and
instead it became clear that the Greek Cypriots lacked the
willingness to share power with Turkish Cypriots. This fact became
known by the international community.”
TRNC president said, the Turkish Cypriots are striving to gain equal
status of two proposed constituent states, political equality of two
communities. “Otherwise, solution is not going to be possible. In
order to prevent the permanent division, the Greek Cypriots have to
accept unification of the country under a federal umbrella. That is
the only way out.”
Regarding foreign support to the cause of the Turkish Cypriots, he
said, the Muslim world is quite supportive of the Turkish Cypriot
cause. “There are various decisions of the Islamic Conference
supporting Turkish Cypriots and calling international community to
lift the “isolations” imposed on Turkish Cypriots. But if you ask me
whether it is at the expected and desired level, I would say, we
need more support.”
President Talat said, Pakistan is the second country after Turkey
which granted high level of relationship to Turkish Cypriots.
“Pakistan does not recognise us as Turkey does, but our relations
are very good on one hand, and on the other hand the treatment of
Pakistan government towards our representatives in Pakistan is
almost at diplomatic level. So we are thankful to Pakistan
government. They are granting highest level of interest and help to
Turkish Cypriots among the other states in the world,” he added.
About possibilities of closer cooperation between Pakistan and TRNC
he said, “ we have to enhance the relations. If business people of
two sides come together and work on finding ways for economic
cooperation, I am sure that a lot of avenues could be found. There
are sectors which are complementary to each other. Investment from
Cyprus could be directed to Pakistan to produce dairy products where
we have enough knowledge and expertise. These are the sectors where
Turkish Cypriot investors could take interest.”
President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said, “for the
cause of Turkish Cypriots, the government is moving in the right
direction on two tracks, one to seek lifting of isolations by
efforts through the OIC countries, EU and the rest of the world, and
second, efforts to solve the Cyprus problem. Greek Cypriots are
comparatively less enthusiastic for a quick solution, so our
government works more actively in this direction.” |
