TURKISH GENERAL’S WORDS PROVE TURKEY’S BELLIGERENT STANCE
Azg/arm
29 Jan 05
Turkish Genera’s statement that Turkish troops in Cyprus will not be
withdrawn until a final settlement is found to the island’s division
has caused another setback to any peace effort this year.
Land Forces commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, the No 2 in Turkey’s
military powerful Genera! Staff, made the remarks during a meeting
with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.
“Without a definite and permanent agreement, not a single soldier will
leave from here Buyukanit said. Denktash expressed full satisfaction
with the General’s stand.
As Reuter points out, pulling back some of the 35.000 troops Turkey
keeps in the northern third of Cyprus is seen as a goodwill gesture to
revive a UN peace process to reunite the island before Turkey begins
European Union accession talks in October.
The Associated Press notes that Turkey is under increasing pressure to
end the island’s partition as it advances its own bid to loin the EU.
The Turkish military commander added during a troop inspection “We
desired that a lasting peace should be achieved, but what Kind of
permanency is also very important. What looks permanent today could
change tomorrow”.
The Cyprus government reacted immediately. Spokesman Kypros
Chrysostomides said the views expressed by the top Turkish General
confirmed, once again Ankara’s intransigent stand, and its Insistence
on occupying illegal part of Cyprus, now European territory.
“The General’s statement is a provocative answer to all those who have
suggested, either in private or publicly, that Turkey should make
goodwill gestures in order to promote the search for a Cyprus
settlement. These suggestions usually referred to the withdrawal of
troops, something that would facilitate a Cyprus settlement”, the
spokesman said.
The statement showed how wrong ware all those who believed that there
has been a change in Turkish policy, he noted.
Defense minister Koulis Mawomcolas said Buyukanit’s remarks showed
Turkey’s real intensions, He said Turkey’s military establishment
remained defiant of political moves to put the country in the EU and
handled matters concerning neighboring countries in an absurd,
third-world manner that did not promotegood neighborly relations.
Chrysostomides said the Cyprus government had taken “a series of
practical moves” to help the creation of a good climate of
understanding and cooperation leading to the resumption of peace
talks.
These Included the agreement to grant EU funds to the Turkish
Cypriots, the green line trade regulations and, perhaps more
importantly, President Papadopoulos’ decision not to veto the opening
of accession talks between the BU and Turkey.
Some reports from Ankara suggest that General Buyukanit’s statement
reflected a sharp divergence of views between the military
establishment and Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan. Some hard-line
Turkish diplomats also side with the military,
Erdogan and his team are keen to undertake a new diplomatic campaign
in order to promote a Cyprus settlement, anxious, to avoid a possible
Cyprus veto to the start of EU accession negotiations.
The same reports say the Greek Cypriot side will insist on a Turkish
troop pullout, before agreeing to a new round of peace talks.
The EU agreed in December to start entry talks with Turkey on October
3, but Greek Cypriots have the right to veto such negotiations if no
settlement is reached.
Brussels expects Turkey to expand its protocol on customs union with
the EU to include the ten new members, thus giving tacit recognition
to Cyprus. Erdogan’s pro-EU government has promised to work for a
settlement this year, but no concrete steps have been taken and Ankara
still refuses to recognize the Cyprus Republic.