Ankara's Policy Change

The Turkish daily Hurriyet is announcing a major policy change on Cyprus from Ankara “...Ankara has presented a proposal to Kofi Annan of the United Nations, which states that Greek Cypriot ships will be for the first time in 31 years allowed to enter Turkish ports.” The daily goes on to say that the proposal contains “reciprocal concessions” but did not specify exactly what this meant. The Turkish public will be informed of this new proposal on Tuesday. Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will be visiting Cyprus on Tuesday where he will meet with Mr. Talat. The Foreign Minister is also expected to visit Turkey where talks will be dominated by the Cypriot issue. It certainly is becoming clear what all these meetings are about ... it is for Britain to support and promote direct trade with the Northern breakaway statelet. In return, Cypriot ships would be allowed to enter Turkish ports. If this indeed is accurate, it would solidify the division of the island. Please view my post below titled “Guarantees” to read what Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Abdullatif Sener said about the opening of Turkish ports to Cypriot ships.

Update on Blackout

Here is an update on the blackout that hit the breakaway statelet. It appears the power plant in the North is in worser shape than what was previously thought. Authorities in the North are now saying that they may be dependant on electricity from the Republic for as long as a month.

North has ten days to fix power plant
By Jean Christou

THE ELECTRICITY Authority of Cyprus (EAC) said yesterday it would be very difficult to supply the north with electricity beyond the ten days the Turkish Cypriot side asked for.

Responding to reports in the Turkish Cypriot press that the supply from the south might be needed for a month, Costas Gavrielides, the EAC’s Customers Service Assistant Director said that would be difficult.

“We are not in a position to give them electricity for a month,” he said. “We agreed ten days. What we are giving them is at the expense of our own system. We don’t have more to spare. If we can give it to them we will, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted that we can supply for an extended period of time.

“It depends on whether we have the supply or not. It’s not easy. We understand they are in a difficult situation and we want to help for as long as we can.”

Turkish Cypriot ‘Minister of Agriculture and Forestry’ Huseyin Oztoprak said authorities might continue to purchase electricity from the south for a period of up to a month, pending the repair work at the Teknecik power plant.

The Turkish Cypriot side called for help late on Wednesday after an explosion disabled the power station in Kyrenia. The north had been experiencing problems for some time, according to Turkish Cypriot press.

An 80 mega watt connection for a period of seven to ten days until their problems were fixed.
Supplying the north is expected to cost between £600,000 and £800,000.

President Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday the government would have given the electricity even if the Turkish Cypriot side could not pay.

“We would still have given it to them for free,” he said.

However that this would create problems with the competition commission as such a move would be regarded state grant and the EAC would have to pay a fine.

“Our compatriots needed help, we had the capability to help them, why shouldn’t we?”

Between 1974 and 1996, the Greek Cypriot side supplied all the electricity needs of the north until the Kyrenia station was up and running. This had cost the EAC a total of $162 million for the 22-year period. The money was never paid by the Turkish Cypriot side.

Turkey's Red Lines

It's amazing isn't it, how practically all Turkish demands were met in the Annan plan V. In previous versions of the plan, all Turkish Troops were to leave Cyprus within 15 years or upon Turkey joining the EU ... whichever came earlier. Without any negotiation on this matter, the final Annan plan allowed a certain number of Turkish troops to stay on the island in perpetuity.

Turk Generals insisted some troops must stay – Tassos

Turkish Generals insisted that some Turkish troops should stay in Cyprus, even after a settlement based on the Annan Plan, and UN officials acting as "arbitrators" quickly accepted their demand, without bothering even to inform the Greek Cypriot side about the change.

Earlier versions of the Annan Plan, the product of negotiation, provided that all Turkish troops would pull out of the island by stages.

This was revealed by President Papadopoulos as he spoke to foreign correspondents at a CNA-sponsored luncheon this week.

Annan Plan V, drafted at Burgenstock in April 2004, was rejected by the overwhelming majority of Greek Cypriot voters, while approved by Turkish Cypriots.

Papadopoulos, who led the Greek Cypriot side at the meetings, said he was told by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other UN officials that the continued presence of Turkish troops on the island was a "red line" for Turkish generals."

As a result, a proviso was incorporated in the final draft, stating that 650 Turkish troops would stay on the island, even after a final settlement establishing the United Republic of Cyprus.

Papadopoulos noted that earlier versions of the Plan, the product of negotiations, called for the complete pullout of the estimated 35,000 Turkish troops occupying northern Cyprus since 1974.

When Papadopoulos saw the new addition, he complained to Annan and other UN mediators telling them: "Why didn’t you ask me? Where is the give and take?" which is the basis of any negotiation.

The President told journalists that the Turks, through high ranking diplomat Ugur ziyal, had presented a list of eleven demands at Burgenstock, to be incorporated in the UN blueprint.

He said the UN satisfied "ten and a half" of the Turkish positions.

When he told UN envoy Alvaro de Soto about this, the Peruvian diplomat reportedly told him that the UN satisfied only eight of the eleven Turkish demands.

Blackout

The Turkish Cypriot leadership in the occupied North today appealed for electricity from the government of RoC after a blackout hit the breakaway statelet. The government of RoC approved the request ... "We immediately replied that we're willing to help," said Mr. Papadopoulos. Despite the invasion, the government of RoC continues to provide electricity to Turkish Cypriots in the North of the island.