Achilleas Antoniades: Cyprus wants a peaceful life

In 1974, Turkey invaded the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, occupying 37 per cent of its land and displacing many thousands of Greek Cypriots from their homes. Despite this, the Government of Cyprus is supporting Turkey's bid for accession to the European Union, expecting that it will meet its obligations towards the EU.

Why? Clearly, Cyprus is not happy with the continuing occupation of its land by more than 43,000 Turkish troops, or the terrible and continuing injustice of denying Greek Cypriots rights to their homes and properties. However, the Government of Cyprus, which has been an EU member since May 1, 2004, has decided that the moment does not call for the exercise of negative power; that greater gains can be had by engaging Turkey constructively on the road to accession.

It is inevitable that the paths of Cyprus and Turkey will cross around the negotiating table. And this is bound to happen earlier than later in the negotiations. The decision to commence accession negotiations was a decision not without controversy or tension, both in Europe and Turkey itself. However, now that the decision has been made, one thing is certain - neither Turkey nor Europe will be the same again.

The question of whether Turkey is a suitable candidate is still in many people's minds. Whether it will finally make it and when, is still a question without a definitive answer. However, no matter which side of the argument one takes, there can be no doubt of the merits of a Turkey finally integrated to the western values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and international law.

Such a development would not only have positive outcomes for Cyprus, but also auger well for stability and progress in the Eastern Mediterranean. The imperatives of membership cannot leave unaffected the festering sore of Cyprus. As predicted by a top American policy maker, changing the context in which the problem has been set for the past three decades, would produce fresh hope that it will finally be resolved.

To be sure, Cyprus is not happy with the continuing occupation of its land by Turkish troops. Greek Cypriots are still angry at the injustice of the continuing denial of their rights to homes and properties illegally taken over and still inhabited by those who don't own them. It should be noted that some of these displaced people live here in New Zealand or have close relatives and friends among New Zealand's Greek Cypriot community.

Moreover, Turkey continues to refuse to recognise the rights of Cyprus as a state, something that puts Turkey in the position of a lonely minority of one in the whole world. Its ports and airports still remain closed to Cyprus ships and airplanes despite international obligations as well as European mandatory requirements under the mutually agreed Negotiating Framework.

All this is part of a pursuit to establish a separate state in the territories of Cyprus which Turkey has occupied by force since 1974, behind an imposed line of artificial division.

The time has come to pose the serious question: How much longer can Turkey maintain this untenable position especially as it tries to join the European family?

Triumphal statements by Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to the effect that, despite the acceptance by Turkey of the Annan plan, not a single soldier has been removed from Cyprus, and Prime Minister Recep Tuyyip Erdogan's uncompromising statement that only a confederation of two separate, sovereign states is acceptable to Turkey, are not exactly sources of great optimism. Turkey will have to look at reality as the difficult task of successfully negotiating the multitude of serious accession issues with the EU draws near.

What happened in the past two years in Cyprus, when the Turkish Army allowed a small number of crossing points on the dividing line to open and limited freedom of movement to begin, is a serious step in the process of reconciliation that has broken down the myth that the two communities cannot live together.

It has already proven that the Turkish attempt to keep the island artificially divided is bankrupt and that there is no alternative but to allow the two communities in free negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations to reach a mutually acceptable compromise within the framework of a bicommunal, bizonal federation.

It is time for Turkey to normalise its relations with Cyprus, remove its troops from the soil of an EU member state and let all people of Cyprus get on with life in peace and security as members of the European family.

This is the way to end the so called "isolation" of the Turkish Cypriots. Not through the imposition of state structures demanding separate sovereignty which is not recognised by any country in the world. It is this separatist policy which, by definition, results in self-imposed blockage of legitimate political and trade relations with the outside world. Not the self-evident defensive measures of the Republic of Cyprus.

Erdogan should be reminded of these facts whenever the opportunity arises, more so by a friendly country like New Zealand, which has shown a long and consistent commitment to a fair solution in Cyprus.

The ball is in Turkey's court to show that she can put the past behind, abandon anachronistic policies and move forward with the times, as can be expected of a prospective European member state.

* Achilleas Antoniades is the Cyprus High Commissioner to New Zealand