EXIT –
Gibrahayer
Editorial by Simon Aynedjian
Nicosia Wednesday 10 February – It is not by chance that during a
relatively brief period of time, in two neighbouring countries around
Turkey, coalition partners first in Armenia and now in Cyprus are
exiting their reciprocal governments.
It is not by chance, because what is happening in our region – at
the expense of Cyprus and Armenia – is the result of an orchestrated
plan to red-carpet Turkey to a hegemonic regional super-power and to
secure her with a safe passage to the European continent.
This effort would have been welcome by all, if the Turkish entry was
accompanied by traces of real change and not mere cosmetic ones. By
traces of change that would truly manifest that a new Turkey is in
the making, with European specifications and European values.
As everyone is well aware … this is not the case.
By only paying lip-service to both friends and foes, Turkey wants a
ticket to a Union whose fundamental principles she violates.
Turkey is benefiting from the spoils of the invasion in Cyprus in 1974,
continues to deny the reality of the Armenian Genocide and continues
her blockade on Armenia, to name but a few.
Turkey now wants medals, for accepting the Annan Plan (that would
capitulate the Cyprus Republic in 2004), for ratifying the Protocols
(that would solidify the spoils of the Genocide) and wants a free
no-cost pass, to the European elite.
ARF Dashnaktsoutiun and EDEK – the two socialist parties in Armenia and
Cyprus on the east and south flanks of Turkey – have found themselves
on a similar path. To leave a coalition that they joined in an effort
to influence their respective governments and not to accept an all-out
surrender and a peace process whose cost would be too high to manage,
for generations to come.
Although EDEK and ARF Dashnaktsoutiun can both feel they have
politically done the right thing in leaving their coalition partners,
the process of surrender (or peace, as history will call it) will
be completed without them and both Armenia and Cyprus will be unable
to show enough clout to resist regional policy decisions, while the
coalition exit parties will feel that their parties were not empowered
by their people adequately – to make their exit – a statement to be
reckoned with, to receptors both at home and across the border.