Bagis: Turkey achieved progress during the Cypriot EU term presidency; Integration of occupied Cyprus with Turkey is an alternative for the Turks
Turkish Anatolia News Agency (AA) reported yesterday (11.09.12) from Ankara, that Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis has named the “positive agenda” process – launched between Turkey and EU – a “diplomatic success” and said Turkey would continue to take decisive steps for its EU bid during the upcoming Irish presidency.

Bagis attended Tuesday a daily editorial meeting of AA and replied to questions on Turkey’s EU adhesion process, as well as latest developments on domestic and international matters.

In response to a question on the contributions of the recently launched “positive agenda” to the EU negotiation process, Bagis said, prior to the positive agenda, there had been the impression that Turkey would completely cut its ties with the union during the Cypriot term presidency of the EU.

“On the contrary, we have achieved a certain progress during the Greek Cypriot presidency which had not been seen over the last 30 years”, he said.

“Positive agenda is definitely not an alternative to membership negotiations. It is, however, a bridge that helps us to overcome the obstacles before our membership talks”, he noted.

He said, working groups on politically-stalled chapters had been formed and talks on visa exemption had started as part of the positive agenda. “This is a process that we obligated the European Union to create in an effort to overcome the obstacles introduced on our EU path for the past 60 years. This is Turkey’s diplomatic success”, Bagis argued.

Bagis said that he had been holding talks with Irish officials for some time, and as of January 2013, when Ireland takes over EU’s term presidency, relations between Turkey and the Union’s new term president, would have already started.

“We will continue to take decisive steps during the upcoming Irish presidency in order to achieve remarkable progress in our EU process”, he claimed.

Responding to a question on the Cyprus problem, Bagis said there were many alternatives for the solution of the Cyprus conflict, however, Turkey supported the “formation of a single state comprising of two founder states with political equality”.

“Bringing together these two states under the roof of a single state but letting them preserve their internal mechanisms, could communicate a very significant message to the world and bring along remarkable contributions to both sides”, he argued.

“Until now, the Greek Cypriot party has rejected all our proposals for a solution, has not offered any alternative ways and acted like a spoiled child. Europe is also fed up with that. I believe they will also push for a solution”, he alleged.

Commenting on the upcoming UEFA Europa League game to be played between Turkey’s Fenerbahce and the Cypriot AEL Limassol FC, Bagis said he was concerned about the safety issue due to the problems witnessed in several sports events in the past.

He alleged: “If the Greek Cypriot party will have difficulties to ensure security prior to the game with Fenerbahce, I recommend them to ask for help from the TRNC. I am sure TRNC would respond to such a demand. Some keep asking if a country could ask for help from a country that it does not recognize. They feel free to demand water and electricity when necessary, why not request help with security”.

Meanwhile, under the title “Alternatives are many!” Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar newspaper (12.09.12) reports that when Bagis was asked whether the integration of the occupied area of Cyprus with Turkey was an alternative on the table in case of a possible non-solution on the island, he replied that he had made such a statement in London trying to show how wealthy Turkey’s negotiating positions and alternatives are. He argued that making such a statement in London was important and pointed out that Britain is a guarantor power of the Republic of Cyprus.

Bagis described the policy implemented by Turkey in Cyprus since 2002 as “one of the most important conjectural changes” after the membership of the country to NATO. Bagis argued that in the past Turkey was giving the image of an intransigent country, which ran away from the negotiating table and did not want to negotiate in absolutely no manner. He claimed that this image changed after 2002 with Turkey showing its will to remain at the negotiating table.

Bagis went on and alleged that the only EU member country, which does not implement a so-called embargo on the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, is “south Cyprus”, as he described the Republic of Cyprus. He alleged that only the “south Cypriots”, as he described the Greek Cypriot citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, are the only EU members who can travel and trade directly with the occupied part of the island.