Greek Cypriot attempts to join NATO

[brother]

Greek Cypriot attempts to join NATO


Istanbul daily Milliyet newspaper (27/09/05), under the above title, published the following commentary by Fikret Bila:

Efforts are being made by southern Cyprus to use the accession talks between Turkey and the EU scheduled to begin on 3 October as a hostage. It is due to these efforts that the framework document has still not been given its final shape.

With such a short time left until 3 October, when the accession talks are due to begin, the Greek Cypriot administration is doing its level best to add new conditions to the framework document. One of its aims is to put Turkey's "veto" into check should southern Cyprus ask to become a member of NATO. They want to use the EU to bypass Turkey's veto against the Greek Cypriots joining NATO.

The provision that the Greek Cypriots want to add to the framework documents states that Turkey cannot prevent southern Cyprus from joining international organizations, or use its power of veto.

Even though it may not state it openly this provision is aimed at southern Cyprus joining NATO. No matter how much the talks with Turkish officials might revolve around organizations such as the OSCE the debates are concentrating on NATO.

Subtitle: Remarkable Pressurizing

After Greece was able to join NATO without Turkey vetoing it what is being sought now is for a way to open the door to southern Cyprus's membership of NATO even though a solution on the island has not been reached.

The EU is applying whatever pressure it can on Turkey ahead of the 3 October start date. Opening the door for the Greek Cypriots to join NATO is the most remarkable of this pressurizing tactics.

The EU completely ignored the London and Zurich agreements, which state that Cyprus cannot become a member of any international organization that Turkey and Greece are not both members of, and is trying to do the same thing so that southern Cyprus can join NATO.

After the EU trampled all over international agreements and made southern Cyprus a member despite so solution being reached on the island the fact that it is not trying to ensure southern Cyprus' NATO membership constitutes a serious move against Turkey and the KKTC [Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus].

While the Turkish Cypriots, who said Yes to the Annan Plan arte being punished, the Greek Cypriots, who rejected it, are being rewarded.

Subtitle: Turkish Military Being Told To Pull Out

Turkey has the power of veto within NATO. If it comes to it Turkey could use its veto to prevent southern Cyprus joining NATO. However, attempts to put Ankara into check before the EU Accession Talks begin are doubtless very annoying to Ankara. First, they make the Greek Cypriots EU members without there being a settlement on the island. Now, if they are allowed to join NATO after a specific process is played out what kind of shape might the Cyprus problem take?

The answer to this is clear: Seeing that the Turkish military on the island is being declared "an occupying army" in an EU country the next stage will be to declare it "an occupying army" in a country that is both an EU and a NATO member. Doubtless, in order to end this "occupation" the demand will be made to have the Turkish military pull out of Cyprus.

Subtitle: Using The Accession Talks To Place Turkey In Check

It will mean southern Cyprus becoming a member of NATO just as it became a member of the EU without a settlement first being reached on the island.

Naturally, Turkey's veto is enough to block such a development. Turkey could use its veto within NATO to stop this. However, adding such a provision to the Accession Talks Framework Document at this stage means using the accession talks as a pawn to place Turkey's veto in check. When the time comes the Greek Cypriot administration will therefore be able to suspend the accession talks. It will be able to block the talks when it wants to in order to make Turkey forego its visa and grant entry to NATO.

Up until now the EU has always been on the side of the Greek Cypriot administration. It punished the Turkish Cypriots, who accepted the Annan Plan, and rewarded the Greek Cypriots, who rejected it. The move to open the door to NATO for them shows that this mentality has not changed.

Inclusion of such a provision in the framework document while it may not prevent the accession talks from starting will still have the function of putting the squeeze on Turkey at any time. Turkey must resist the inclusion of such an expression in the framework document.

[Xenos 2Fan]

You gotta hand it to the Turks for being able to keep their cool amidst all of this political cloak and dagger intrigue. Simply f***ing amazing. Good post Bro.