In one of his recent statements, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, referring to the Cyprus problem, once again insisted on denying reality and distorting the truth commonly admitted by the European Union, the United Nations and other international organizations and states.
While Turkey blames the EU for its unwillingness to give the country the passport of becoming a member in the European family, Mr. Erdogan is curtailing those prospects of his country by not recognizing what is self-evident according to the UN Security Council Resolutions, the European and the international community. Namely, the existence of the Republic of Cyprus, created in 1960, with international personality and a democratically elected government, even though that government cannot currently exercise its authority in areas of the island which are under the Turkish military occupation.
Since that tragic occurrence of the unprecedentedly barbaric Turkish military invasion of the island of Cyprus in 1974, Turkey systematically continues to violate UN resolutions, European Convention and International and local court decisions by exercising virtual control over the local subordinate administration of the pseudo-state called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in the military- occupied part of the island. Throughout these decades, Turkish authorities attempted to create a new "de facto" situation within the military-occupied areas by implementing broad ethnic cleansing, expelling thousands of Greek Cypriots from their residences, depriving them of their rights to return to their homes, expropriating and confiscating these properties, with the ultimate goal of Turkey's eradicating even the last oddments of Greek Cypriot heritage culture. At the same time, that Turkish policy resulted in the destruction of the native Turkish Cypriots who were forced to emigrate to Europe and elsewhere from their occupied areas, which were plunged into economic collapse and were dominated by illegal settlers through a systematic colonization directed by Turkey.
That is briefly the general background of a bloody story, which began with the violent military Turkish invasion of Cyprus -- the only full member of the European Union that currently has part of its land remaining under military occupation. And the paradox becomes even bigger as Turkey, which demands to get accepted in the European community, is still violating a series of UN resolutions and EU decisions by prominently maintaining that military regime against the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is not offering the best services to his people, who expect their government to break the constrains in order to someday achieve the goal of their country's European integration. Turkey's European membership cannot proceed , unless Turkish authorities decide to respect and abide by their international and European obligations on the Cyprus issue. Mr. Erdogan and Turkish authorities must realize that they can no longer violate history and disregard their people's right to live peacefully in a collective European community. The government needs to see their country moving forward by putting aside such extremist-national theories of a meaningless expansionism like that caused by the Turkish military invasion against Cyprus 37 years ago.
In the case of the Cyprus problem, Turkey is not only internationally isolated because of its persistence in defending a pseudo military-imposed regime in the Northern part of the island and its refusal to comply with international and European orders in favor of the existing and totally recognized authentic Republic of Cyprus. Additionally, Turkish authorities are at risk from the anger coming from the remaining native Turkish Cypriots and other settlers, who came illegally from Turkey colonizing the occupied land of Cyprus. The Turkish policy has inflicted the impact of an enormous social, economic and international isolation on that part of the island, that prior to 1974 was the richest and most developed. People there live under horrible conditions of poverty and underdevelopment, and feel marginalized especially compared with Greek Cypriots in the wealthy and externally oriented free part of the Republic of Cyprus. Under this light, the latest demonstrations that have taken place in the occupied land of Northern Cyprus by these enraged people sent another clear and strong message to Turkey, which Turkish authorities cannot neglect or shut down. It was a message saying that these people no longer authorize Turkey's government to determine their future, their prosperity and their desire to live peacefully with the Greek Cypriots. The current upheaval there is the result of a genuine necessity of these people to express their decision to bring Turkish paternalism to an end.
What is now occurring in the Middle East and Arab World with self-organized people attempting to overthrow illiberal dictatorships and demanding more democracy, should have taught Turkish government that such regimes, which do not correspond to people's needs, can today collapse more easily than ever before. The authorities of these regimes were convinced that such demonstrations, which were reflecting public passion for a real change, were simply sparked by some underground minorities. As it was proven, that perception was definitely false. Unfortunately Turkish authorities stand to make the same mistake, regarding how they perceive these recent massive protests in the occupied area of Cyprus. Turkey does not want to understand what the vast majority of the marginalized and isolated Turkish Cypriot community say through these reactions, because Turkey does not want to hear anything that is in conflict with its vested approach of hegemony on the military occupied land of Cyprus. The sooner the Turkish government decides to change its view on the Cyprus problem by releasing its subordinate local administration from the chains of enforcement, the better Greek and Turkish Cypriot people will be led to a real and sustainable solution which will not be created and imposed by external parts and interests, like in the case of the "Annan plan", which was rejected by the vast majority of Greek Cypriots who said "no" to the legitimization of a permanent division of the island.
I will persist in arguing that the key to the Cyprus problem solution remains in the hands of Turkey. Erdogan, who has really proved to be more open-minded than his predecessors in matters concerning his country's democratization and modernization, must put aside those policies which have nothing to offer to Turkey, but rather they only feed a kind of local nationalism that it is opposing Turkey's European prospects. The two sides of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot community, based on the fundamental principles of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality, are able to move forward and control the fates of their people, who prior to the Turkish military invasion, were living together peacefully and managing their lives effectively. The violent change which was imposed in Cyprus by Turkish guns and arms may be reverted. To be more accurate, this military change must be reverted. And if there is some hope, it is coming from the voice of people that was thunderously heard in the ears of Turkish authorities some days ago. The Turkish Cypriot people know that they deserve a prosperous future and they are not just the means for Turkey to achieve its expansionist policy goals.