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[brother]

Commentaries in AFRIKA and YENI SAFAK argue that the US are promoting the non-solution in Cyprus

Under the title: "Here it is the new Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" the chief editor of the Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (21.10.05), Sener Levent, in his column "Angle" writes:


"Cyprus was in the USA´s sphere of influence, but now it is under the control of Europe, if not in practice, it is so on the paper.

We say on the paper because despite the fact that Cyprus is an EU member, the EU is yet to establish sovereignty all over the island.

The EU could implement its Acquis Communautaire only on half of the island.

That is in the south.

And the control in the north is still in the hands of Turkey and its biggest allay; the USA. Washington´s European Forces command was concerned.

The Mediterranean region came under EU control. So, there was a need to do something. The `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ is `custom-made cloth´ for the USA plans.

The USA control here could be safeguarded for years to come, thanks to the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´.

Finding a solution to the Cyprus problem is not in the USA´s favour because in case of a settlement the whole of Cyprus will be de facto under the EU control. Well if this is the case what does the USA need? It needs to keep the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ on its own two feet, even if it is not recognized. It needs to strengthen the non-solution. And it needs to make permanent the division existing on the island.

The USA has prepared a three-point plan for the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´...

i) Economic assistance.

ii) Direct flights

iii) Reviving of the diplomatic dialogue

It has been decided that Talat should regularly meet and be in dialogue with the US ambassador in Cyprus".

Sener Levent then quotes part of a commentary in the Turkish daily YENI SAFAK newspaper by columnist Ibrahim Karagul. He writes: `For the USA, Cyprus is as much important as is the Gulf and the North Africa. It is a light-house for the Middle East and a testing ground for the international diplomacy. The USA´s Great Middle East Project starts from Cyprus and from the East Mediterranean. Cyprus is indispensable because it is only 200 kilometers away from the Suez Canal and it has the ability to block the Turkish ports. Cyprus will be the biggest listening base centered in the Mediterranean. Thousands of US troops will be deployed in the basis. Cyprus will be turned into "a mandate country" which will serve the US and British interests. At the Lefkoniko Airport in the north a NATO base will be established for the new NATO that heads for the East and South. Division of the island will create convenient ground for the US plans. The USA will secure `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´s´ if not de jure, de facto recognition in order to keep it on its own two feet. Just like Taiwan. The north will be supported economically and will be turned into a tourism and advanced technology centre, but at the same time it will be turned into a "military garrison country"´.

These are the plans of the USA on Cyprus which for the second time has invitied Mehmet Ali Talat to Washington.

They have elected Talat not to conclude settlement but to maintain the non-solution.

They could do this by using Denktas, but since Denktas had lost prestige before the international public opinion and before his community, so without hurting him too much they have arranged him to be put on the shelf.

Also in order to put the non-solution blame on the Greek Cypriots and pave Turkey´s EU path, it was necessary to conduct a velvet revolution in the north Cyprus.

Unfortunately, our intelligencia through NGO´s were taken hostage by the USA and knowingly or not they have served the US interests.

Thus, a ground was created in the north Cyprus, which gave the USA a unique chance to do whatever it wanted to.

Today our former leftists could declare without being ashamed that today our interests are compatible with the USA.

Here it is the new Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus".


http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2005/05-10-21.tcpr.html

[erolz]

I am sorry but I do not buy this thesis.

Cyprus certainly hasd strategic importance for the USA, but to imply the USA has to maintina the Republic of Northern Cyprus in order to maintain it's influence in the region does not add to my mind.

If Cyprus is of strategic import to the USA in the region then Turkey is of massively more importance. The USA already has a good realtionship with Turkey. It already has bases and access to ports in Turkey. It is also fully behind Turkey's EU aspirations.

So the idea that the USA is maintaining division in Cyprus because it is worried it will fall under 'EU control' if a settlement is found does not add up to me. If this was the strategy then the USA would be anti Turkey joining the EU much more than it is anti the remaining 1/3 of Cyprus doing so, and yet it is not anti Turkey joining the EU. It is pro Turkey joining the EU. Yet according to the article at the same time it is doing everything to help Turkey acceed to the EU (which requires a settlement in Cyprus) it is also doing eveything it can to ensure that the Republic of Northern Cyprus does not reunite with Republic of Cyprus and enter the EU. This just does not make sense to me.