Erdogan to Putin: Time to Keep Your Word
By Can Karpat, AIA Turkish section
Axis Information and Analysis
14.07.2005
The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Sochi,
known as Russia’s holiday resort, as guest of the Russian President
Vladimir Putin. It is reported that during the visit, the Cyprus issue
will be discussed. Putin, who met Erdogan last January in Moscow,
then stated that Russia is ready to give its support to the project of
abolishing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot part, and also to the
Annan Plan on the United Nations platform. According to some sources,
Erdogan will remind Putin during his visit to Sochi this weekend of
the fact that the Russian gesture has not been materialised yet, the
Turkish Zaman newspaper reports. In fact, because of Russia’s veto
threat, the United Nations report is suspended in the Security Council.
The Turkish Prime Minister, who will meet Putin in Sochi as a response
to the special invitation of the Russian President, is also expected
to discuss international political evolution and other regional
issues. The Turkish diplomacy uttered its wish to see Russia in a
“promising attitude” about Cyprus issue, after the European Union
and the United States of America. Ankara’s initiatives have just
begun to receive some positive reactions from the United States of
America and the European Union even though these do not match to the
expected level.
After the referendum in Cyprus in April 2004, the report prepared by
the United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan is suspended because
of the veto threat of Russia. During the visit of the Turkish Prime
Minister to Moscow in January of this year, Putin had called Kofi
Annan on the phone as a surprise and afterwards he stated to Erdogan:
“We support the plan, which carries Mr. Annan’s name. In this plan,
there is also foreseen the improvement of economical relations with
the Turkish Cypriot part and the abolishment of the isolation upon
this part of the island”. Furthermore, the statement of Putin during
the then press conference on the 11th of January was of a special
interest: “In the Security Council, we had voted before the referendum
in Cyprus. We acted that way in order to prevent any external influence
during the referendum. We had discussed with the United Nations General
Secretary. I stated that I support his efforts to resolve the Cyprus
conflict. We will support any solution, which will bring the Annan Plan
to life. We think that the economical isolation of the Turkish Cypriot
part is not fair. We will support Mr. Annan’s plan in an active way”.
The statement of Putin had been interpreted by Ankara as a “gesture”.
Now, Ankara demands the concrete fulfilment of this gesture, which
has not been carried out since. The admission of the Annan Plan in the
Security Council will be a “historical diplomatic triumph” for Turkey,
for in this way the uncompromising attitude of the Greek Cypriot part
will be confirmed.
During the meeting between Erdogan and Putin, it is expected that the
evolution in Caucasus will be discussed. Erdogan will inform Putin of
Turkey’s firm attitude against the Armenian genocide claims once again.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the political evolution in the Middle
East and the improvement of economical relations between Turkey and
Russia will be also on the agenda of the meeting.