Turkey holds the stick, it also wants the carrots too…
“We don’t know what the President of the European Commission and President of the European Council said to Mr. Erdogan. But we can reasonably suspect what Mr. Erdogan told them after the incident with the Van der Leyen ‘sofa gate’ incident. He in all probability stressed to them that through a neo-Ottoman expansionism he will continue to threaten neighboring states and try to reverse international treaties, such as that of Montreux Convention and the Treaty of Lausanne. That he will continue the drillings off Libya, Limassol and in the Aegean. That he will continue to threaten Turkey’s neighbors and at the first opportunity invade Cyprus again.
Apparently, he also asked for a lot of carrots, pointing to the stick. He requests an upgrading of Turkey’s customs union. But how will that be given to him, when he has not respected the existing customs union and its obligations towards Cyprus? In addition, Erdogan is calling for money once again for the shameful refugee agreement he concluded with the EU. He wants a high-level dialogue and an upgrading of Turkey’s economic relations with the EU, visa liberalization and free access to the European arms market.
Mr. Erdogan has learned, before every European Council meeting, to withdraw his ships so he could find the pretext to demand rewards in exchange. Let us remind him, however, that before June, the informal five-party meeting will convene under the auspices of the UN in Geneva.” This was pointed out, inter alia, by AKEL MEP, G. Georgiou at the meeting of the EU-Turkey Delegation. The subject of the discussion was the Cyprus problem and developments surrounding EU-Turkey relations.
Speaking on behalf of the Political Group of the European United Left in the European Parliament, AKEL MEP G.Georgiou stressed that in order for the positive agenda with Turkey to proceed, in addition to the many other preconditions that were set at the last European Council, it is necessary for Turkey to demonstrate goodwill regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem.
As the AKEL MEP explained, Turkey is obliged to exhibit good will in Geneva, by supporting the agreed framework of the solution of the Cyprus problem, that is to say, bizonal, bicommunal federation, but also by adopting a constructive stand, ending its illegal actions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus and terminating its attempts to impose fait accompli in Famagusta, so that a solution of the Cyprus problem is achieved.
AKEL MEP G.Georgiou also addressed the representative of the European Policy Centre Amanda Paul, who proposed the Swiss model of confederation as an alternative option for discussion. He asked her directly if she believed that confederation could be viable or if in the end it might be just a stepping stone towards a two state solution or, ultimately, even to the annexation of the occupied territories by Turkey.
In conclusion, Giorgos Georgiou wondered, without receiving an answer, whether the two Presidents of the European institutions had called Turkey to face up to its responsibilities, calling on it to proceed to what was provided for, namely the need for an EU representative to be present at the Geneva talks, so as to ensure that any discussion of a solution will be in line with the European acquis.
Press release by AKEL MEP Giorgos Georgiou
16th April 2021
