Imtiaz Ahmed, Bangladesh

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Dr Dervis Eroglu has reaffirmed his commitment to unification of Turkish Cyprus with Greek Cyprus based on ‘a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as defined by the relevant Security Council resolutions. He was briefing a group of journalists at the Presidential Palace marking 31st celebration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus last week. President Dervis Eroglu said the United Nations, United States, the European Union and the international community should show respect to both sides’ rights and play a constructive role in bringing the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiadis to the negotiations. The Greek Cypriots have refrained from responding to the constructive proposals of the Turkish Cypriots which envisaged establishing a bi-communal committee to take joint decisions on the management of the hydrocarbon reserves and continued its unilateral actions. Dervis Eroglu has stated that the unilateral steps of the Greek Cypriots regarding hydrocarbon reserves will only increase tension in the region, and if these activities continue, it will be compelled to take simultaneous and equivalent reciprocal steps. The Greek Cyprus administration suspended talks on October 8 in retaliation of Turkey’s sending a warship to monitor an oil and gas exploration mission off the Cyprus coast. “If the Greek side is devoted and sincere to reach a federal partnership, it should act to make it possible” said Eroglu, adding “Negotiations are the only way to reach a solution to the Cyprus issue. The Turkish Cypriot government has opposed any unilateral move by the Greek Cypriot government to explore any hydrocarbon resources around the island, saying that its natural resources should be exploited in a fair manner under a united Cyprus. The President told the press that the Greek Cypriot administration had been “insincere” about the peace talks. “Turkish Cypriots want political equality about the issue, which has been going on for 40 years. The negotiations between the two sides had resumed last February after a two-year pause. The previous round of talks collapsed because of the euro-zone debt crisis and the Greek Cypriot side’s turn to occupy the EU presidency in 2012. The island of Cyprus has remained divided into Greek and Turkish zones since a Greek-Cypriot coup was followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid the Turkish Cypriots in the north in 1974. The Greek Cypriot administration is a member of the EU. It is internationally recognized except by Turkey, which remains the only country that recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The island has been divided since Turkey intervened to end the communal bloodshed in 1974 after a Greek-inspired coup. The letter comes after. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ozdil Nami said the lack of response by the international community against the intransigent stance of the Greek Cypriot side regarding cooperating on the management of hydrocarbon resources further emboldened the Greek Cypriots uncooperative endeavors, which caused the escalation of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean. Ozdil Nami while briefing the press said that the international community should not remain a spectator while the Greek Cypriot side leaves the negotiating table by creating excuses rather than engaging in result-oriented negotiations. In September 2014, the UN Secretary General ‘s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth visited the island and expressed the hope next phase of the structured negotiations in a result -oriented manner through a win-win approach, he said. Foreign Minister Ozdil Nami demanded representation of Turkish Cypriots at the meeting of the European Parliament to expressed their views on the Cyprus issue. ‘The fact the Turkish Cypriots remain unable to the represented in the European Parliament is an unacceptable situation in terms of EU values and democracy’ said Ozdil Nami. The minister told the press that ‘brain drain’ has been a recent phenomenon in northern Cyprus as brilliant students are looking jobs at the EU and US markets. Nami also stated that one of the most significant factors contributing to the present crisis was the fact that the necessary reaction was not given to the various attempts of the Greek Cypriot leader to delay the negotiation process since the very beginning, and emphasized that this should be taken into consideration as the ensuing developments unfold. The Turkish Cypriot community has been able to participate in international sport activities since 1983 because of the declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in replacement of the Turkish Cypriot Federated State as the new TRNC was interpreted as symbol of separatism by the international community, said Dr Muhittin Tolga OZSAGLAM, a professor of Department of International Relations of Near East University. Meanwhile, President of Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce Fikri Toros while briefing the press said the non-recognition of Northern Cyprus as an independent state by the international communities hampers business. He stressed the need for a comprehensive settlement to the protracted Cyprus problem that has been negatively affecting the political, social and economic life on the island. He supports a fair and sustainable political solution in Cyprus, and sees its solution and the EU vision with the same belief and determination. A settlement based on a win-win model, mutual respect and interdependence will be to the benefit of all involved. As Turkish Cypriots are unable to use their Famagusta port for international trade, use of port in Turkey only pushes the cost of trading, the chamber president said. Fikri Toros said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has a small island economy with a limited domestic market and natural resources. Despite its small size, Northern Cyprus has fair growth rate. The economy is dominated by the services sector with a 72.3 in 2014. Services include trade, tourism, higher education, transportation, communications, financial institutions, health, business services, public services and others. Gross National product (GNP) is estimated at 4.00 billion US dollars and GNP per capita is 16,113 US dollars in 2014. According to 2014 estimates, tourism contributed around 8.7 GDP with an occupancy rate of 31 per cent until August 2014 and the education contributed 5.6 per cent to GDP in 2014. Apart from tourists from Turkey and the UK which have the biggest share, significant increase in the number of tourists from the European and Eastern countries in the last few years. He said the Northern Turkish island attracted 1.2 million tourists while Southern Greek island attracted 2.8 million tourists. The total exports of the island is 120 million US dollars while import stands at 1.4 billion dollars. In 2014, around 60 per cent of the TRNC exports are to Turkey and around 40 per cent to other countries. Dairy products, citrus, alcoholic beverage, soft drinks, carobs, clothes, gypsum, vegetables and potatoes are exported. Turkey is the biggest trading and import around 70% imports from Turkey. Furthermore, Turkey’s financial support which is mainly directed to infrastructure investments makes great contribution to TRNC Government. Cyprus is an island in Eastern Mediterranean having an area of 9251 square kilometers. The size of Northern Cyprus is 3355 kilometers with a population of 286,257, according to housing census as of December 2011. The Cyrus issue has been on the agenda of the UN Security Council for over 50 years. A unique opportunity to break the stalemate emerged in 2004 with a comprehensive settlement plan, proposed by then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, known as the ‘Annan Plan’. The plan was submitted to separate and simultaneous referenda on both sides of the island on April 24, 2004. The Turkish Cypriots approved the plan by 65 per cent while the Greek Cypriots rejected it by 76 per cent. Following the bizarre outcome of the referenda, the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for individual states and international organizations to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers that have effect of isolating the Turkish Cypriots. The European Council of Ministers stated in a resolutions passed on April 26, 2004 that it was determined to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of the Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community.