Ms. Bakoyannis, who is currently on a 3-day official visit to Cyprus, said "The Annan Plan, as it was submitted for approval by the Cypriot people, was rejected. From the moment it was rejected, it was history." She went on to say "(The Cypriots) desire a fair and viable solution within the EU framework and we should work toward this direction."
The foreign Minister’s visit coincided with the publication of a poll that was conducted by the CyBC showing most Greek Cypriots have doubts that reunification will occur any time soon. The poll showed that an even greater majority reject the Annan plan. Some 50 percent want a completely new plan while 34 percent favor drastic changes to the Annan plan. The foreign press, however, will be focusing on this part of the poll ... given the chance, 48 percent of Greek Cypriots would rather live separately from the Turkish Cypriots compared to 45 percent who back coexistence. Beware, the pro-Turkish foreign media will not miss a chance to castigate the Greek Cypriots. Allow me to give you a preview ... Shame! The Greek Cypriots do not want to live with the Turkish Cypriots. This is Tassos doing with all his rhetoric; the Greek Cypriots don’t want peace. Some reading this post may say where is your proof of this so called biased foreign media? When was the last time you read an article on Cyprus that mentioned the previous rejections of UN plans by Turkey and the occupied North? When was the last time you read an article on Cyprus that mentioned Turkey’s violation of UN and Security Council resolutions regarding its occupation and colonization of Cypriot territory? There is your proof. If this survey was done in a period where Cypriots believed the UN plan was actually workable with a strong central government ... then the poll results would have been completely different. Now, take a look at this snippet from a recent report by the BBC:
Some wonder quietly if the threat of formal recognition of the north could push the Greek Cypriot side back to the (Annan Plan) negotiating table.
No need to wonder anymore, the CyBC poll results tell us it would have quite the opposite effect. Are the polling results good news for the Turks? Hardly. Cyprus support for Turkey’s EU accession is based on reversing the crimes committed by Turkey and allowing refugees the right to return home. Turkish columnists love to point this out ... those wily Greek Cypriots are using the EU to corner us! Notice how the Turks do not mind how they use their troops to force their own compromise on us but complain when the government of RoC seeks EU help for a compromise to reunite the war divided island nation. If Turkey’s stance leads to separation of the two communities then there is no reason for the Cypriots to support Turkey’s EU accession. The reaction to this by some Turks may be ... If EU talks are suspended over Cyprus, then so be it. I think it is fair to say that Turkey’s EU membership bid means a lot more to a Turkish Kurd than it does to a Turk. Recent reforms were granted to the Kurds in order to appease the EU. I would like to ask Mr. Semih İdiz what the current riots in Turkey’s south-east would look like if Kurds knew that Turkey was not going to be a part of the EU?
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