TURKEY/ Cyprus Embassy Responds to Turkish Minister

In reference to the interview by ilsussidiario.net of Egemen Bagis, the Turkish Minister of European Affairs, the Embassy in Italy of the Republic of Cyprus sent us this letter, which we are publishing to show our readers both sides of the story.

Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus

Dear Editor,

In reference to the interview that appeared in your newspaper of the Turkish Minister for  European Affairs, Egemen Bagis, I would like to point out the following.

The Turkish Minister states that Cyprus is the “most apparent example of the double standard” that Europe has for their country. He refers to an assumed EU’s decision already in 2006 to “remove” the hypothetical “block” on the puppet state created by the occupying Turkish military in Cyprus.

It is clear that this claim is not supported by real events. First of all, the EU cannot have relations with the puppet state for the simple reason that they condemned its self-proclamation and recognize only one country on the island: The Republic of Cyprus. The same is true for the UN and the entire international community, to the dismay of Ankara, which does not want to recognize this fact.

Secondly, there is no “block” to remove. Since 2004, the Regulations of the Green Line, which regulate the passage of people and merchandise across the 1974 cease-fire zone, have been in force. Everyone in the Turkish-Cypriot community has a right to a passport from the Republic of Cyprus and the right to travel anywhere in Europe and in the world. What Turkey is cunningly proposing is to let the occupying regime have direct commercial access to Europe, and so to use the airport that is now illegally functioning without permission from the ICAO, as well as the ports of Cyprus now in the hands of the Turkish army. This plan is obviously not aimed to facilitate Turkish-Cypriot trade with Europe, since that is already accomplished by the Republic of Cyprus. The real aim of Ankara’s plan is to obtain a form of recognition for the puppet state they have created in the occupied territory.