Interview of Mr Huseyin Özgürgün , “Minister of Foreign Affairs” of the Turkish Cypriots community (Nothern part of Cyprus)
The point of view of Mr Huseyin Özgürgün, “Minister of Foreign Affairs” of the Turkish Cypriots community, on negociations of the ‘Cyprus problem’ and expectations from the EU.
1) Could you please introduce yourself, your background and your current position? Could you also briefly locate your party, the NUP, on the political spectrum in the northern part of Cyprus?
I was born in Lefkoşa in 1965. I had my primary and secondary education in Lefkoşa and I continued my education in Turkey, where I studied Political Science in Ankara University. After I graduated from Ankara University in 1988, I studied language and administrative science in the Cambridge University, in the UK.
Sports had an important place in my life during my education and it still has today. I played volleyball, basketball, table tennis and I have international degrees in athletics. I also played in the national football team for years and took part as an administrator in various sports activities.
Politics became a part of my life back in 1990s. I was elected as a member of parliament in 1998, 2003, 2005 general elections. I was the leader of the NUP for ten months, in 2006. During the general elections in April 2009, I was elected once more and I am now serving as the Foreign Affairs Minister in the cabinet.
National Unity Party won 26 seats in Parliament during the elections held on 24 April 2009, by attaining 44.04% of the votes. It is the leading party in the TRNC and has celebrated its 34th anniversary, on 12 October.
2) Current negotiations for a solution of the ‘Cyprus Problem’ do not appear to be close to a positive conclusion, as initially hoped. What do you think is the reason for that?
First of all, I would like to reiterate that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready for finding a just and viable settlement in Cyprus, in line with the established UN parameters and body of work. The Turkish Cypriot side has been contributing positively to the negotiations process since it started in 1968 and will continue to support all the initiatives which would evolve under the auspices of the UN.
For us, undiluted bi-zonality, political equality of the sides, equal status of the two founding states and Turkey’s full and effective guarantee constitute the basic parameters for a solution to the Cyprus issue. The target of the ongoing negotiations is to reach a new partnership state based on these principles.
The NUP approached the intentions of the Greek Cypriot side with utmost care from the beginning. This was because, the Greek Cypriots made clear in many occasions that their actual goal is the patching of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the so-called “Republic of Cyprus”. I would like to remind you herewith, that the former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos talked about “osmosis of Turkish Cypriot people”. In other word, his policy was to make Turkish Cypriots surrender through heavy embargoes and, absorb and dissolve the Turkish Cypriot people under Greek Cypriot administration, instead of finding a comprehensive solution through negotiations.
The Greek Cypriot side has not been sincere during the negotiations process throughout the decades and has been the side which rejected practically all the UN sponsored initiatives. As one would surely remember, they rejected the Annan Plan in 2004, by 75% “no” votes. Following this, they unjustly attained full-membership of the European Union and hence, become more intransigent and insincere, during the negotiations.
The latest negotiations process which started on 3 September 2008, has not been fruitful, either. The Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Chistofias’ latest statement in the UN General Assembly in September and the decision taken by the Greek Cypriot National Council have been frustrating. In so far as these have revealed in no uncertain terms, the real intention of the Greek Cypriot side is to reduce the Turkish Cypriot founding State to an autonomous administration under the Republic of Cyprus. He has also stated lately, that the agreement made by Makarios with Denktaş in 1977 in which they agreed upon a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal republic, was a “mistake”.
Mr. Christofias must have forgotten that on 26 May 2008, he agreed in front of UN Representative in Cyprus on “a Federal Republic which would be formed by a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which would have equal status”.
The Greek Cypriot side is bringing about unreasonable demands especially on the issue of territory, power sharing and guarantees, which have vital importance for the Turkish Cypriots.
Unfortunately, “osmosis” intentions of the Greek Cypriots are continuing. The Greek Cypriot side is still imposing all kinds of embargoes on the Turkish Cypriot side ranging from denying the Turkish Cypriot people the right to representation in international fora to preventing or restricting their travel abroad and their communication with the outside world, to hampering all cultural and sporting relations of the Turkish Cypriot people with other countries. Only recently, Mr. Christofias hurriedly went to Syria in order to stop the ferry services which began between TRNC and Syria.
Turkish Cypriot people has only been supported by Turkey and managed to overcome difficulties by the help of motherland Turkey. It is noteworthy to express that, the expectations by the Turkish Cypriot people towards the European Union is also diminishing. According to a survey made by KADEM for Eurobarometer, the number of Turkish Cypriots who trusted the EU, diminished by 12 %. The Turkish Cypriot people think that European Union has not kept its promises
Observing all these developments, the Turkish Cypriot people are losing their hope for progress in the negotiations.
3) Last April the NUP won the parliamentary elections that took place in the northern part of Cyprus. Was this victory a result of the recent financial crisis or was it possibly a reaction to the direction towards which the current Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Talat, has been leading the negotiations? Or are there other possible explanations?
I think the previous coalition government lost credence both due to their policies for internal and external issues. They could neither manage to achieve economic development and meet the needs of the Turkish Cypriot people nor fulfill their promises like “integration with the world with a ‘yes’”. The Turkish Cypriot people saw that, it is the Greek Cypriot side which does not spend the necessary effort for a settlement but not NUP, as it was argued by the opposition.
4) Should NUP win the Presidential elections that will take place in April 2010, what would be its agenda for the negotiations? In which respect, if any, would it be different from the one currently followed by Mr. Talat?
NUP will decide on the candidate from amongst its party soon and opinion surveys show us that our candidate would win. I have already mentioned the stance of the Turkish Cypriot people in the negotiations and the NUP will seek for the most honorable, just and viable settlement which would meet the expectations of the Turkish Cypriots in full and supported by Turkey. For us, equality, sovereignty and Turkeys guarantees have vital importance.
5) There are difficult subjects in the current negotiations: property; security and guarantees; territory; “settlers”; power-sharing between the two communities; the presence of the Turkish military in the northern part of the island. With regard to all these issues, what are NUP’s proposals in order to arrive at a viable solution for both negotiating parties?
I have already mentioned our sensitivity in political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people in a new partnership and it should take place between the two states. I have also expressed the importance of Turkey’s guarantees and how the Turkish Cypriot people observe the Turkish Peace Forces in Cyprus.
Present conditions and the realities in Cyprus should be considered carefully during the negotiations. Creating conditions which would cause vast amounts of migration, resettlement and territorial adjustments would bring about unrest in the country and moral outrage amongst people, both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot.
In terms of property ownership and population there should be a clear majority of Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus. Bi-zonality and bi-communality are necessary. We have to care for the rights and benefits of the Turkish Cypriot people and take necessary political, economic etc. precautions in order not to bring about conditions that would make Turkish Cypriots “minorities” within their state.
6) When do you think that a solution could be reached? And what will the most likely solution be, in your view?
A partnership can only be reached when the Greek Cypriot administration abandons its maximalist positions. There are major variations in their positions in the negotiations. This causes mistrust and thus makes a probable solution far apart.
The Greek Cypriot side has to accept and acknowledge sincerely the equal status of the Turkish Cypriot people. A settlement can only be found in line with the established UN parameters and body of work.
Restrictions imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people have to be eliminated in order to bring about development of Turkish Cypriot economy and henceforth, for creating economically equal conditions between the two sides which would contribute to a solution.
7) What are you expecting from the European Union?
The Turkish Cypriots expect the EU to be fair in approaching the Cyprus issue, because after referenda in 2004 for the Annan plan, many promises to the Turkish Cypriots have not been kept, especially for lifting of the isolation and embargoes. Turkish Cypriots expect the EU to take positive measures, positive steps to alleviate the problem of restrictions. When I speak with the Turkish Cypriots, most of them think that the European Union did not keep their promises. This time, in the context of the ongoing negotiation process, the European Union must be clear and fair to the Turkish Cypriots. If a comprehensive settlement and a viable solution have to be reached in Cyprus, this must be under the United Nations’ umbrella. The EU should only play a supporting role to help the UN led talks, because Greece and the Greek Cypriots are members of the EU.
The acquis communautaire cannot be implemented in the northern part of the island at this moment. The Turkish Cypriots are disappointed after the 2004 referendum. They voted “yes” to the Annan plan but the Greek Cypriots voted “no”. But the EU accepted only the Greek Cypriots as if they represent the whole island. If you want to reach a comprehensive settlement, the EU must be fair and keep the promises made to the Turkish Cypriots after the 2004 referendum. I call on EU officials to take positive steps towards the Turkish Cypriots that show that the EU is in good faith. We must feel it as the Turkish Cypriots. The EU approach to the Cyprus problem, until now, has not been satisfactory for the Turkish Cypriots.
Propos recueillis par Rudy Graff
October 25, 2009
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