tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4370874998012134957.post2757799179420152690..comments2018-11-12T08:14:38.150+00:00Comments on southeastern europe: Cyprus Spring?Spyros A. Sofoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781851791005043022noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4370874998012134957.post-7031519070475499892010-03-15T23:41:00.451+00:002010-03-15T23:41:00.451+00:00I agree that the analysis does not touch upon very...I agree that the analysis does not touch upon very important issues such as the dispute over what federation means to Greek Cypriots on the one hand and Turkish Cypriots (and Turkey)on the other. I also agree that, for Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus no longer exists and therefore cannot constitute an interlocutor. The point I was trying to make was that there are indications that Turkey is attempting to talk and to reassure Greek Cypriots. I am not suggesting that Greek Cypriots accept unconditionally what the AKP government tells them; what I am suggesting is that we need to think creatively and grasp the opportunity that has presented to us instead of hiding behind of formalisms and protocols and refusing to discuss.Spyros A. Sofoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05781851791005043022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4370874998012134957.post-65949634955106242862010-03-14T01:19:06.924+00:002010-03-14T01:19:06.924+00:00Very interesting analysis of what might indeed be ...Very interesting analysis of what might indeed be indications of the bulbs of Spring for Cyprus. <br /><br />Now the Erdogan Government is getting the message that Turkey's road to the EU does indeed pass through reunification of Cyprus he is finally making the kind of statements which address the concerns of Greek Cypriots. The scepticism with which his overtures have been met with on the Greek Cypriot side are however arguably quite justified, I feel, by what needs to be analysed more fully in the thoughts contained in your last paragraph. <br /><br />Cyprus President Demetris Christofias has on a number of occasions made the effort to speak directly with Erdogan, at summits attended by both, but has received nothing but fobb-offs because of course the Turkish state (not just Erdogan) are trapped in the logic of non-recognition of the government of the Republic of Cyprus and can not therefore possibly talk to them directly - ergo all the efforts to convene four party and five party conferences in order to bring other 'actors' on board who Turkey no doubt hopes will have the same effect as that well known UN debacle in 2004. <br /><br />The bitter experience for Cyprus of that 'process' in 2002-4 is ample justification for refusing such overtures and looking instead for the fundamental shifts in Turkish attitudes at the negotiating table and not just in PR-speak aimed at its journalists, academicians (and other opinion-formers abroad as well as in Cyprus).<br /><br />The European Parliament, in February this year passed certain strongly worded paragraphs requiring Turkey to begin now to withdraw its forces of occupation from Cyprus, to begin to withdraw some of the many thousands of settlers it has shipped into the Turkish-occupied area on Cyprus, and to give back the deserted city of Famagusta to its legal inhabitants - all of which have not been addressed in Erdogan's overtures to Cyprus opinion formers, and in fact had the standard response from Erdogan and Bagis , that we will consider those items *after* a solution has been agreed for Cyprus.<br /><br />The biggest thorn in the 'overtures' towards Cyprus by Erdogan and Bagis (same as there were thorns in their proposals to the Kurds and to the Armenians) is that they reiterated their age-old requirement that the solution to the Cyprus problem will consist of two states and a 'virgin' birth. Although that is an issue important enough for all Cyprus-observers to know about, it is not mentioned at any point in your analysis. Is there a particular reason why those important points, which somewhat diminish the sincerity of the committment by Erdogan and Bagis to a Federal solution in accordance with UN resolutions and the Acquis Communautaire, were not mentioned? How can they be taken seriously by Greek Cypriots about the sincerity of their intention to see a country with a single international personality emerging from a solution they are prepared to accept ? Ergo, their fundamental and often-repeated position about "two people" and "two nations" in Cyprus remains unchanged!<br /><br />PR-speak from Turkey may well generate favourable impressions among commentators internationally, but those who do know better do have the duty to not omit certain crucial factors in their informed analysis - particularly when the package of proposals submitted by Turkey/Talat prior to Ban Ki Moon's visit contained so many confederal elements which are rarely mentioned in any analysis!grokkedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00311202549301892241noreply@blogger.com