Economy and Energy Minister Sunat Atun went to İzmir to attend the opening ceremony of the 86th International İzmir Fair and met with Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi.
Huseyin Segmen recently took over the Red Lion Mandarin Oriental Bar & Restaurant in Alsancak and the 19th August saw the official opening of his new venture.
Introduction by Margaret Sheard ….. Viola Edward has been nominated for the “Inspiration Awards for Women” – UK and we would love to see her being presented with this award for the remarkable work she does as a Psychotherapist and Coach, Breathwork Trainer and other therapeutic work.
The Girne Municipality cleaning branch distributed leaflets to raise awareness in the Boĝazkőy Picnic Area to visitors in order to increase awareness of the need for cleanliness.
The Anamur Municipality Conservatory Turkish Music Choir gave a concert in Ramadan Cemil Square which was organized by Girne Municipality as part of the 7th Girne Culture and Art Days ,
By Can Gazi……. The amazing voice of Turkish Cypriot singer Pinks can be heard on A Cup Of Conversation this week on Bayrak TV. Pinks is currently making a name for herself as a popular entertainer and is guesting at various bars and restaurants in the TRNC.
Turkey’s Minister of European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ömer Çelik held a joint press conference with UK Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Alan Duncan, who was in Turkey for official meetings.
Former US Ambassador to South Cyprus John Koenig has stated that the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades is responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
Koenig shared a message from his Facebook account saying “There is plenty of blame to share around, but one person stands out as the cause of the impasse and collapse: This is Nikos Anastasiades. He never was the courageous, committed leader he claimed to be – not even in 2004 – but instead a self-absorbed small -time operator with grand ambitions and no spine.
“Anastasiades owns this failure but many others will pay the price. (Maybe I should write that book I threatened to write when I left Nicosia!)”
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
Turkey as agent for the TRNC has claimed an equity interest in the Aphrodite gas field
“Where do the Greek Cypriots think they are going with their stand on enosis? It is all part of the Byzantine negotiating game. Keep the talkers talking. However, the Turks have lost patience with the talk. The Greek Cypriots are now in grave danger. Who is running Turkey? What is he doing to Kurds, police, judges, and many others? What will he do to Greek Cypriots when energy independence for Turkey is at stake?”
Following the fascinating article by Roger L Jennings’ “Silent Diplomacy in Turkey – Looking back at how it happened” click hereandhe had written a review article click herein which he looked at the Cyprus negotiations developing and what the alternatives could be and now we have received a further letter evaluating the current developments.
Letter from America from Roger L Jennings…….
“I see you have posted Mr. Ozgurgun’s statement about the futility of the talks with the Greek Cypriot Administration (click here). Mr. Akinci is hoping against hope that he can get a deal, but people around him like Mr. Ozgurgun are more realistic. The reality is bad news for the Greek Cypriot people.
The Greeks successively expanded Greek territory 8 times after 1821, but then suffered a terrible defeat in Turkey in 1922 and now in Cyprus. It is time for the Greeks to give up on the Megali Idea and enosis. They claim to be Christians. It is time to act like Christians and practice love (God is Love) with respect to their neighbors, the Turks.
The Greek Cypriots apparently do not understand the Turkish persona. Turks never retreat. Turkey as agent for the TRNC has claimed an equity interest in the Aphrodite gas field. Don’t expect the Turks to back off that claim. They will take the gas by force, if necessary, and no country in the world will go to war with Turkey. The Greek Cypriots should negotiate with the TRNC so the TRNC gets an equity interest in the gas….to put an end to this crisis, and avoid military action.
By Mehmet Nesip Ogun………
Professor of Security studies at Columbia University, New York…….
Mehmet Nesip Ogun
After the Greek Cypriot Assembly’s decision to commemorate the January 1950 referendum on ENOSIS (Cyprus Island will politically and administratively be part of Greece) at public schools in South Cyprus on February 10, 2017; ongoing negotiations literally stopped for two months.
On February 16, 2017, the leaders had met at the UN-mandated buffer zone in Cyprus. According to press, Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı raised the problem and stated that the Greek Cypriot Assembly’s decision is wrong and it would harm the negotiations. Upon this statement, Greek Cypriot Leader Mr. Nikos Anastasiades remarked that he had nothing to say and left the negotiations. Even though this incident was told exactly like that by Mr. Akıncı, United Nations special envoy for Cyprus, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, declared the opposite and stated that Mr.Akıncı decided to leave the meeting after a while, according to various press sources.
Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and his spokesperson Mr. Barış Burcu repeatedly stated that if the Greek Cypriot Assembly would not void this decision, the Turkish side would not participate in ongoing negotiations. Nevertheless, the Greek Cypriot assembly decided to give this commemoration authority to the Ministry of Education on 7th April 2017 as a result of the Turkish Cypriots’ determined stance and the leaders agreed to meet on April 11th and 20th, and 2nd, 11th and 17th May.
Cyprus negotiations have been going on for 50 years. There is no little detail that has not been mentioned during the talks. However, there are some main disagreements between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Negotiations are based on six different topics which are territory, property, economy, EU Relations, governance, security and guarantees. There are conflicts of ideas under almost each topic.
Under the EU Relations topic, the Turkish side would want EU agreements to be effective after the transition period after a possible solution and want the agreement to be part of the EU’s primary law. Conversely, the Greek side would want the EU agreements to be effective right after the solution and oppose that the agreement be part of the EU’s primary law.
Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı has said many times that rotating presidency and equal political participation is one of the Turkish side’s red lines, Mr. Anastasiades stated in different platforms that the Turkish side is a minority and it shouldn’t expect that minority should be equal to majority. Besides, no positive remarks were made by Mr. Anastasiades about rotating presidency.
Mr. Anastasiades and President Akıncı
There are also major disagreements on territory and property issues between parties. Both delegations have declared their offer of new territory maps to UN officials during the Geneva talks in January 2017. Nevertheless, both leaders did not agree on maps for new borders and territory. Mr. Akıncı stated that “The map submitted by the Greek Cypriots to the UN is unacceptable”. There is also a big question on how the property issue will be resolved after so many years where many of the properties have been sold to different users throughout the years in both sides.
It could be stated that the main disagreement lies on the security and guarantees topic. The Greek side does not accept any Turkish Military presence on the Island and does not want Turkey as a guarantor power. Nevertheless, the Greek side states that guarantor power is outdated in this era and since the EU could be a guarantor, there is no need for any other guarantor power or countries. On the other hand, the Turkish side wants to keep Turkey as a guarantor country since Turkish Cypriots had so many traumatic experiences between 1963 and 1974.
Nonetheless, as there is no agreed timeline or end line for the negotiations, the leaders will meet several times in April and May. Mr. Akıncı seems more optimistic than his counterpart part Mr. Anastasiades. There is going to be presidential elections in February 2018 in the Greek side and Mr. Akıncı would like to solve the Cyprus problem before the election campaign will start.
Both Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is celebrating the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day on April 23. As the tradition has been going on for so many years, children from different countries have been coming to TRNC and Turkey to celebrate Children’s Day.
Childrens Day Celebrations
However, the Greek side did not allow Serbian children to pass to the Turkish side to participate in these events. After keeping both Serbian and Russian delegations at Larnaca Airport for many hours, the Greek Cypriots sent them back to their countries.
While the negotiations are going on and there is a big effort to solve the Cyprus problem, the Greek side’s decision raised questions about how will this problem be solved? Since the Greek Cypriots do not have any toleration of Turkish Cypriots’ presence in the International environment, how can the Turkish Cypriot side expect the Greek Cypriot side to resolve the topics mentioned above?
Prime Minister Özgürgün: “I do not see any benefit in continuing negotiations, due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriots”
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün has said that he does not see any benefit in continuing the Cyprus negotiations, due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriots.
Responding to questions on Diyalog TV, Prime Minister Özgürgün stated that President Akıncı’s reaction towards the Greek Cypriot Parliament’s Enosis decision was right, but that his overall stance is just as important as the reaction given.
Özgürgün said “the Turkish Cypriot people are equal inhabitants of this island. We are as well-informed, experienced and wise as the Greek Cypriots on matters of state. Why should I tolerate the Greek Cypriot side’s selfish stance?”
Pointing out that the Greek Cypriots have perceived Turkish Cypriots as a minority over the course of the island’s history, Özgürgün said that they were faced with a mentality which desires unification of the island with Greece.
Emphasising that the Turkish Cypriots have always objected to Enosis, and struggle not to be treated as a minority society, Prime Minister Özgürgün said “At this point, the continuation of negotiations on logical grounds is not possible.”
Referring to the Greek Cypriot Parliament’s Enosis decision, Özgürgün said, “The decision was taken with the intention of reuniting the island with Greece; why should we continue to sit at the negotiation table with those with such an outlook.
“The Turks have drawn a line in the sand. The Turkish persona is to never retreat. Turks have a warrior gene in their DNA. The Greeks are really Byzantines who survived the Ottomans by negotiation. The Greek Cypriots believe they are in control in Cyprus, but in reality, they are at great risk. The Turkish Cypriots are in control.
Roger L Jennings
Where do the Greek Cypriots think they are going with their stand on enosis? It is all part of the Byzantine negotiating game. Keep the talkers talking. However, the Turks have lost patience with the talk. The Greek Cypriots are now in grave danger. Who is running Turkey? What is he doing to Kurds, police, judges, and many others? What will he do to Greek Cypriots when energy independence for Turkey is at stake? Israel gets 75% of its energy from gas wells in the Mediterranean. The EU says another plot belongs to the Greek Cypriots, and the Turkish Cypriots have no equity interest in the gas. Now, whose military is stronger? Turkey or the Greek Cypriots? If Turkey seizes the gas wells, what country in the world will go to war with Turkey to defend the EU’s decision to give a zone in the Mediterranean to the Greek Cypriots?
In 1957 a leading Turkish official said Turkey wants northern Cyprus to be part of Turkey. Is that still the objective? The Turkish Cypriots want to be their own people rather than the step child of Turkey. Turkey has been very generous protecting the Turkish Cypriots with the Turkish Army and by the financial contributions each year to the TRNC. However, if the Turkish Cypriots want to be their own people, they need to pay their own bills and have a security force that protects Turkish Cypriots without the Turkish Army being on the island.
The Greek Cypriots have had the Turkish Cypriots pre-occupied with the pie-in-the-sky proposal to unify the island rather than improving the financial condition of Turkish Cypriots. The personal income of Greek Cypriots is almost twice that of Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriot Government has failed in its responsibility to provide a better quality of life for its citizens. Gazi M. Kemal Ataturk said “peace and prosperity.” Where is the prosperity? Greeks are the best negotiators in the world, and they have proven that by the way they have out negotiated the EU, UN, and Turks. However, the Greeks do not understand the Turkish DNA, and that could be fatal to the Greeks.
The situation in Cyprus that appears to have no solution could be solved in one day, but the right leadership is required. That solution would respect the wishes of both Greeks and Turks. Turks do not want to be Greeks, and Greeks do not want to be Turks.
Sincerely,
Roger Jennings”
Below we are replicating the article written by Roger L Jennings we published on 4th October 2016 predicting the failure of the talks if the right steps were not taken.
********
By Chris Elliott……..
Following the fascinating article by Roger L Jennings’ “Silent Diplomacy in Turkey – Looking back at how it happened” click here, he has written a review of how he views the Cyprus negotiations developing and what the alternatives could be.
In this complex world of international politics one wonders whether those plotting and scheming think outside the box and in this respect I am reminded of one of the closing paragraphs of Roger L Jennings last article.
“Some of the greatest diplomatic work is done by people who are not “diplomats.” Diplomatic success is built on good deeds and trust. Then one achievement, like removing the minorities, can lead to another, like arming Turkey and then arming our ally Russia. This is diplomacy unknown to the diplomats. These are diplomatic successes they could not achieve.”
Missing in the Negotiations
Roger L. Jennings……..
The political news of an agreement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots is imminent.Don’t believe the news.
Presidents Akinci and Anastasiades can agree to anything they want, but if the voters do not approve, many months of work will be wasted.
If the Annan Plan is a guide, the Greek Cypriots will vote against an agreement. Polls show that some 60% of the Greek Cypriots are opposed to an agreement. In recent elections 6 of 8 Greek Cypriot political parties were opposed. President Anastasiades does not speak for the majority of Greek Cypriots.
What happens if the agreement is voted down? The Turkish Cypriots will give up on an agreement. Turkey which provides military protection and funds to balance the budget in the TRNC will become more controlling. That is not good for the Greek Cypriots.
Gas in the Mediterranean will become the principal objective of the Republic of Turkey. Russia, Iran and the Kurds are not reliable resources of gas for Turkey. The Greek Cypriots will not be able to resist the Turkish military, if Turkey decides to seize the gas. Gas is critical to the Turkish economy.
The future of the Greek Cypriots appears grim. Neither the Greek Cypriot leaders nor the Turkish Cypriot leaders have talked about options. They are fully invested in an agreement the Greek Cypriot people might not, probably will not, approve.
There are a lot of reasons for the Greek Cypriots to vote against an agreement. These reasons were never addressed by the Turkish Cypriots before the negotiations started. That was a critical mistake.
Why would the Greek Cypriots want to partner with Turkish Cypriots when the GDP per capita of Greek Cypriots is about $26,000 compared to $15,000 for the Turkish Cypriots? The Greek Cypriots have their own economic problems and do not want to be contributing to the Turkish Cypriot economy.
The Greek Cypriot population outnumbers the Turkish Cypriot population by almost 4 to 1. The majority does not ever want to be controlled by the minority. These are two peoples. Greeks do not want to be Turks, and Turks do not want to be Greeks. The leaders need to face this basic fact.
And then, there is the history of Turkish violence against Greeks. Of course, the Greeks were never responsible for any of this violence, or so many Greeks believe. The landing of the Greek Army in Smyrna in 1919 and immediately on the first day killing of innocent Turks, according to the Inter-Allied Inquiry Commission report published on the internet, was acceptable. The Treaty of Sevres allowed this, although the nationalist government of Turkey rejected that agreement. The fact remains, many people of Greek heritage do not like Turks.
All of these reasons for Greek Cypriots voting against an agreement make the failure appear to be the responsibility of the Greek Cypriots. Actually, the truth is quite different.
The future of Cyprus is in the hands of the Turkish Cypriots.
First, they must raise the GDP per capita to equal the Greek Cypriots. That can be achieved easily. Then the TRNC will not be financially dependent on Turkey and subject to the full degree of influence of Turkey. The Greek Cypriots should want that objective achieved.
No country in the world, except Turkey, recognizes the TRNC. The TRNC does not have treaty obligations with the world. So the TRNC could declare itself the new Switzerland with numbered bank accounts. Switzerland is now reporting this once confidential information to tax authorities around the world. Those depositors would move their money to the TRNC. That would be good for the Greek Cypriots.
The Turkish Cypriot banks would have to invest the funds they receive. The Greek Cypriots with profitable projects would have funds available from the TRNC banks. That would create much needed jobs in south Cyprus. Of course, the TRNC banks could and should employ Greek Cypriots in north Cyprus. Those would be high paying jobs.
Most of the investments would be outside the island of Cyprus. Money could be invested, for example, in Greece, if the Greeks can ever straighten out their politics.
Second, the issue of gas must be confronted. Gas is the feedstock to produce many products, including fertilizer, synthetics (polyester, nylon, rayon), paint, and cosmetics. The power plants in Cyprus could be fueled with clean, inexpensive gas rather than imported diesel. Gas in the world market today is cheap.
The Turkish Cypriots should, today, start building the facilities to convert gas to higher value products, and then start importing gas. That would create high paying jobs for Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Sales of these products would provide for better lives. Greek and Turkish Cypriots would be working together to achieve shared objectives, and that would help to change attitudes.
The Greek Cypriot politicians want to liquefy and sell the Mediterranean gas. The investment required raises the cost of gas. That choice does not make economic sense. The Turkish Cypriots want to export the gas to Turkey. Why? The Turks are paying the bills in the TRNC. Selling the gas to Turks in competition on price with Russia, Iran and other sources with vast quantities of gas at low cost makes no business sense for Cyprus. If Cypriot gas is sold, the future of the Cypriot people is being sold.
If Cypriot gas has a higher cost than gas from other parts of the world, the cost will be protected by the value added when the gas is converted to other products like synthetics. That provides financial security for all Cypriots. Selling the raw gas would be a huge mistake, but that is what the politicians want to do. Politicians make decisions for political reasons and not economic reasons that benefit the people they are supposed to represent.
When Greek Cypriots consider making the TRNC a sovereign little Switzerland with funding to convert gas to other products that create jobs and wealth for Greek Cypriots, then the Greek Cypriots should want the TRNC to be an independent sovereign country. The Turkish Cypriots could be the best partner and friend the Greek Cypriots ever had.
Third, the TRNC has a large university system, but does not have jobs for most graduates. All these young, bright minds leave Cyprus. The universities could provide the future leaders in the banks and new companies that make, sell and ship products made from gas.
The Turkish leaders must address and solve the negative attitude Greek Cypriots have towards Turkish Cypriots. That is a pre-condition to any negotiation. That pre-condition has not been met, and that is a major reason why the current negotiations will probably end with a negative vote by the Greek Cypriots.
The starting point to changing attitudes is the Archbishop. Currently he opposes an agreement. He also opposed the Annan Plan. He with his army of priests has more influence with the Greek Cypriot people than the leaders of any political party.
The Turkish Cypriot leaders should ask the Archbishop to identify Christian sites in the TRNC he wants repaired from the violence of 1974. The Turkish Cypriots should pay for the materials and provide the payroll for work by unemployed Greek Cypriots under the supervision of Church leaders. The Archbishop is very concerned about unemployed Greek Cypriots.
The Apostolos Andreas Monastery and Lela Mustafa Pasha Mosque should be offered to the Archbishop. The mosque was once a Christian church and should be restored for use by the Christians of Cyprus, including the Greek Orthodox. These religious sites are national treasures that would attract tourists from around the world to the TRNC.
The negotiating conditions, prospects and consequences suggest that the result is not within the control of President Anastasiades, but rather rests solely with President Akinci. The Greek Cypriots have more to gain by a TRNC that is financially independent from Turkey and a source of wealth for south Cyprus.
The sad truth is all this analysis has been provided to President Akinci, but he has chosen to ignore all this. The failure of the talks will rest on his shoulders alone, but the consequences will be felt by all.
but then suffered a terrible defeat in Turkey in 1922 and now in Cyprus. It is time for the Greeks to give up on the Megali Idea and enosis. They claim to be Christians. It is time to act like Christians and practice love (God is Love) with respect to their neighbors, the Turks.
to convert gas to higher value products, and then start importing gas. That would create high paying jobs for Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Sales of these products would provide for better lives. Greek and Turkish Cypriots would be working together to achieve shared objectives, and that would help to change attitudes.