Roger Jennings wrote an article in October 2016 click here predicting the failure of the negotiations. As background, his Grandfather is the highest decorated person in Greek history for saving more than 1,250,000 Greeks and others in 1922-23. Roger attended the dedication in Volos, Greece, of a monument honouring his Grandfather Asa K. Jennings.
Roger loves Greece and the Greek people. His Grandfather and Father were both key advisers to Gazi M. Kemal Ataturk. Their mission was peace and prosperity. Roger believes the Greek people were led to death and misery by Prime Minister Venizelos who got Greece into a war with Turkey. The Megali Idea started as a way to unify Greeks, but has been twisted by the politicians and the cause of so much grief for Greeks. Roger’s article shown under is about empowering the Greek Cypriot people to rule over their politicians.
Celebrate! The waste of TRNC time and resources negotiating with the Greek Cypriots is over.
Where does the TRNC go from here? Look no further than Gazi M. Kemal Ataturk. Peace and prosperity were his objectives for Turks. The Turkish Army in the TRNC guarantees the peace.
The political leadership of the TRNC now needs to direct its full time and resources to creating the prosperity that has been denied to the Turkish Cypriot people.
Prosperity requires investment. The Turkish Cypriot Government can attract that investment by requiring Turkish Cypriot banks to offer numbered bank accounts like Switzerland and others did for years. As a result, these countries are very wealthy per person, and now the TRNC has the same opportunity to create the same wealth per person.
What will the banks do with the funds? Facilities should be built to convert natural gas to fertilizer, synthetic fabrics, paint, cosmetics and many other products that use gas as a feedstock. Those are high value jobs and will create many businesses. Gas is very cheap on the world market, and can be imported. Then when gas is available from the Mediterranean, imported gas can be replaced with local gas. Gas that is converted has a higher value than gas sold as a commodity.
The facilities to convert gas can, and should, be built in both north and south Cyprus. Greek and Turkish Cypriots will be working together to achieve shared goals. The Greek Cypriots will learn the Turkish Cypriots are their best friends. That is the road to peace and prosperity, and the leadership, on the island rather than relying on politicians with their own objectives.
Cooperation can be extended in many ways. Working with the Greek Cypriot people is the answer in Cyprus. For many years the Turkish Cypriot people have suffered while trying to work with Greek Cypriot leaders who had no intention of developing equitable agreements.
Now the Turkish Cypriot people must recognize that legally the TRNC is sovereign. Turkey has no legal right to gas in the Mediterranean, except as the agent for the TRNC. The relationship between Turkey and the TRNC makes the TRNC the principal and Turkey the agent of the TRNC. Turkey, on behalf of the TRNC, can, and should, inform Total and other drilling companies that all gas will be delivered only to the TRNC. The TRNC will then distribute gas to south Cyprus. If the drilling companies selected by the Greek Cypriots decline to drill and deliver to north Cyprus, then Turkey and the TRNC will select other companies to drill. The Greek Cypriots failed to enter into an agreement with the Turkish Cypriots regarding the gas field. The E.U. and U.N. have failed the people of Cyprus. The Turkish Navy must now take control of the Aphrodite gas field. No country in the world will send its military to challenge the Turkish Navy.
The truth is the TRNC can be economically stronger than south Cyprus. The TRNC with the support of Turkey has the military strength to enforce its decisions. The TRNC and Turkey have learned they cannot look to the E.U. or U.N. for equity or fairness, or even respect for human rights. The TRNC, with the support of Turkey, must now act on its own to bring peace and prosperity to all Cypriot people without interference from the Greek Cypriot politicians, the E.U. or the U.N.
Roger L. Jennings
