How interesting is this?

This site has gone live on December 8, 2005 and has already been mentioned in the Cypriot Press. This site was mentioned by a columnist from the Cyprus Mail. The response today from Haji Mike’s column tells me that one of my posts may have struck a nerve. Setting aside his opinion regarding this site...id like to say that anything that attracts public notice for this site is welcomed. Thanks Haji Mike and happy New Year to you and to all my new visitors!

Haji Mike’s article

The Game

"Playing the game properly" is a statement you may find in Turkish articles that discuss the Cyprus issue. There is no real progress being made to resolve the Cyprus dispute, quite the contrary. Cypriots hold the view that both communities stand to benefit from a real solution. In fact, the benefits of such a solution will undoubtedly bring benefits to the region as a whole. It was thought that Mr. Talat's ascend toward power would bring new thoughts and ideas that were needed to reconcile the two communities. Mr. Talat's intentions are becoming transparent. We see it, time after time, whether it is the issue of Ledra, direct trade, Varosha, refugee properties, etc etc. Mr. Talat speaking to the associated press today said “I am ready to give Maras in return for abolishing all the sanctions imposed on the TRNC." Varosha (Maras in Turkish) is a dead city located just north of the Attila line. Its inhabitants fled when Turkey invaded. The city has not been repopulated by Turkish Cypriots or colonists and remains empty to this day. A similar offer was given by the previous leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Mr. Rauf Denktash. He made this proposal in a letter to Mr. Annan in July of 2003. Varosha was always meant to be used as a carrot by the Turks to encourage the Greek Cypriots to accept any future agreement. This explains why the Turks never inhabited Varosha and instead decided to fence off the whole city. Here is where the two Turkish Cypriot leaders differentiate...Mr Denktash said "We are determined to pursue our new policy of conducting the talks not on an intercommunal basis but on an interstate basis." The plans may be somewhat similar but Mr. Talat would never make this statement, that wouldn’t be playing the game properly.

Aid Package

The EU recommended 259 million euro aid package to Turkish Cypriots when they voted "yes" to the Annan plan. The RoC government supports the aid package but was seeking decoupling of financial assistance and direct trade claiming that direct trade constitutes de facto recognition. Mr. Talat wants the aid package linked with direct trade between the north of the island and the EU. As a result of the differences...the European Union has abandoned an attempt to provide the aid package. An agreement was not expected. For months now, Mr. Talat and crew were quoted in the Turkish press stating that Northern Cyprus would not accept trade via Southern Cyprus and that the Turkish Cypriots may say "no" to the aid package if it means giving up on direct trade.

Guarantees

I recall the weeks prior to the referendum on the Annan plan that several Cypriot politicians were asking where are the guarantees for implementation of this plan? Some were even seeking to postpone the referendum for a short period of time because of the issue of guarantees. A simple question to a complicated plan...who is going to force Turkey to comply with the targets of the Annan plan if it decides that it doesn’t want to implement certain provisions? Why am I bringing this up today? Turkey signed the customs accord with the EU to the bloc’s 10 new states. Why then is Turkey still refusing to open its ports to Cypriot ships? Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Abdullatif Sener today said that “Turkey will not take a unilateral step and open the ports to the use of Greek Cypriots unless the embargoes facing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Occupied North) are removed.” Can someone show me where this is stated in the customs accord that Turkey signed? There should be no question now why proper guarantees for implementation are important to any future agreement on a possible solution for Cyprus.