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Friday, March 29, 2024

“Jump into the void with the Press” by Kyriakos Pieridis

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With the Cyprus issue at the “zero” point, Nicosia, through the veteran in diplomacy, “clergyman” Ioannis Kasoulidis, is making adjustments to its foreign policy in order to save as much as it can. Thus, he will be able to close with less friction internationally the 10-year term of President N. Anastasiadis, as in 12 months the presidential elections are coming. Is this a strategic turn of Nicosia or a naughty reversal?

I. Kasoulidis wants to change the icy climate for Cyprus in Brussels (EU), New York (UN) and finally in Washington. He knows – and did not hide it, as did his predecessor N. Christodoulidis – that his international interlocutors see the path to division and constant tensions, while disapproving of the choices made at the critical moment in Crans Montana and the tactics of Nicosia that followed for so many years. He thinks that his own different language in pan-European issues, such as the Ukrainian, and some confidence-building measures within Cyprus, may change the picture. Thus, the proposal of a… drastic confidence-building measure (MOE) to the Turkish Cypriot community emerged, such as the proposal “Tympou vs. Varosia”: that is, the airport “Ercan” in the occupied Tympou to be opened under the UN for international flights. Currently, this airport is only connected to Turkey. In return for the Greek Cypriots, the UN should take over the supervision of the fenced area of Varosia. How much do such moves count in practice?

Even before taking over the Foreign Ministry, I. Kasoulidis had long insisted in his meetings at the Presidential Palace that “something must be done to save Varosi. Even at a price, the launch of direct international flights from Tympou “. In fact, the formula that was publicly suggested concerned unilateral movement, without complication in technical discussions (17/11 – public discussion of OPEC Cyprus through the newspaper Politis): , A second terminal of Larnaca International Airport.

N. Anastasiadis hinted at “Tympou – Varosi” at the European Council in December. The European partners have literally escaped with the complications caused by the unresolved Cyprus issue and the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. It is doubtful whether Kasoulidis 'idea – presented as Anastasiadis' proposal – will gain momentum to get the Cyprus issue out of the impasse or even give some nuggets of credibility to Nicosia.

Categorical rejection

Nor at the level of public relations does it seem that it can last long. The Turkish leader Ersin Tatar immediately rejected it, promoting the position that everything should be done on the basis of “neighborhood” and “sovereign equality” (25/1): “Should I hand over the Press by law of the Republic of Cyprus? Should I give my house, Varosia, into their hands? ” Tatar feels comfortable after the “elections” in the occupied territories. The bloc of nationalist parties has a majority. Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu signaled to him that the Turkish side is not “playing” with Anastasiadis. Hence, in New York, Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu “cut” a reference to the UNICYP resolution (27/1) for “resumption of negotiations”. From the Turkish side, all they can do is impose their own formula on hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean. Let the Cyprus issue be solved by time.

“Taiwanization”

Few, perhaps, today remember that the “Press against Varosians” proposal was made by the then (2006) Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Following the 2004 referendum, Turkey was given the green light to start accession negotiations with the EU, with the vote of Nicosia and Athens. It aimed to unblock two separate “technical” obstacles: One concerned the European Regulation on direct trade of Turkish Cypriots – and therefore international flights – and the second concerned the implementation of the Ankara Protocol – access of Cypriot ships and aircraft to Turkey – which freezing of 6 of Turkey's negotiating chapters. The Cypriot government then rejected the press as a “Taiwanization” method that would “seal” the non-solution, giving the occupied “operational recognition” status, such as Taiwan.

15 years later, evolution is in itself a dramatic confession of complete failure. The moderate Kasoulidis does not try to save, but to “patch” the serious deterioration of the Cyprus problem, acting on behalf of N. Anastasiadis, who parasitizes its toxic remnants: isolation, deterioration of the prospects for reunification, catalysis of the EEZ, deletion of EastMed Varosion. All a continuous downhill to the bifurcation.

When and how MOE?

A structured discussion on MOEs that give impetus to the resolution of the Cyprus problem – and not to the vacuum, as Nicosia does today – is absolutely necessary. There were such opportunities, but the Anastasiadis government, for its own expediencies, kicked them out with all ease! In 2015, Turkish leader M. Akinci agreed to extensive convergences for a bi-zonal bi-communal federation and suggested to President Anastasiadis that they give a dynamic impetus to talks with the “Press against Varos”. Anastasiadis suggested that they concentrate on the overall settlement of the Cyprus problem on a visible horizon (2016). This seemed convincing to Akinci, but two years later, in Crans Montana, he realized what N. Anastasiadis had in mind.

Since then, the Cypriot government has completely lost its credibility, having, among other things, contributed to the… destruction of confidence in Cyprus. First – with a letter from the negotiator Andreas Mavrogiannis, he terminated the operation of almost all the joint technical committees that discussed MOE – circular Mavrogianni 11/7/2017. They had just returned from Crans Montana and everyone agreed “to avoid turning the work of the committees into a smoothing process, which will serve as a substitute for the solution”. Anastasiadis recalled the MOE in 2020 as soon as M. Akindzi was ousted from the Turkish leadership. Now he appears flexible, offering the Press to Ersin Tatar……'s dish.

The paddle of diplomacy

I. Kasoulidis pulls the oar of the Cypriot diplomacy, more motivated by the internal need of DISY to go together in the 2023 presidential elections with Averof Neophytou as a candidate. Is it prepared to bear the brunt of a different foreign policy? However, the diplomacy of a small country can not be a mixture of contradictory choices: when Anastasiadis, when Christodoulidis, when Averoff…

Cyprus today needs a comprehensive overhaul of its strategy, working methodically in the international arena to recreate the historic opportunity lost in 2017: a final negotiation under the Guterres framework, a strategic agreement, MOE and openings to the Turkish Cypriots. Above all, we need a new narrative towards Turkey. The debate in the EU offers a “positive agenda”, complemented by many other initiatives. N. Anastasiadis closes his circle, having imposed himself on the liberal moderate wing of DISY and creating the corresponding internal audience of voters, which primarily satisfies the popular right, up to ELAM. He managed to derail the Cyprus issue and drag – through his submission to power – everyone. Who will believe them now?

The article is also published in the Athenian newspaper “Efimerida ton Syntakton”

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Source: politis.com.cy

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