A preliminary study for the creation of a bi-communal solar energy park with a capacity of 30 to 50 megawatts will be prepared within this year by a European company, the Director General of Structural Reforms of the European Commission, Mario Nava, said at a conference organized by MEP Niazi Kiziljurek in the occupied territories, on the subject "EU, Turkish Cypriots and the future".
In their greetings at the same event, the General Secretary of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, and the former leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Mehmet Ali Talat, spoke about the Cyprus issue, the prospective solutions and reiterated their commitment to a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation.
Three EU priorities
In his televised message to the conference, Mario Nava stated that since 2006, the EU has allocated 656 million euros to the Turkish community support program. “This is a very significant amount given the relatively small size of your community,” he said. At the moment, he added, they have three big priorities, firstly trade through the Green Line, which they want to n’ increase, as he said.
Last year, the value of said trade, he continued, was 15 million euros, "the best result ever achieved", twice the amount of’ than two years ago. "Green line trade brings people together and builds trust. It also presents an economic opportunity for T/c producers and T/c customers. So let's make the most of it,'' he noted.
Mr. Nava said they are encouraging cooperation between the two chambers of commerce and will create a one stop shop where interested parties from both communities can find trading partners and learn everything they need to know about trade via the Green Line.
Second priority, he said, is the implementation of the PDO framework for halloumi, which was approved by the European Commission in 2021. Why’ this, he continued, they have allocated 40 million euros so that Turkish producers can fully benefit from the PDO registration and be able to sell their halloumi throughout the EU.
Third, Mr. Nava said, they are working to create a 30 to 50 megawatt bi-community solar power plant. "This year an independent European company will conduct a preliminary study, which will examine possible locations, technologies and their costs, technical requirements and everything necessary to create a power plant. After that, the two communities will have to jointly decide on the exact parameters of the station. This project will be a pilot project and will be followed by another renewable energy project. “The Commission is fully aware of the need for a green transition in the ICT community and is willing to support it,” he added.
Mario Nava said that they are also working on other issues such as being able to T/k n’ open bank accounts in the EU community to facilitate 'intra-community payments for trade or for T/Cs working in the EU community'. As he said, we believe that these efforts are helping to build trust between the two communities and we hope that this will open the way for the resumption of reunification talks as soon as possible.
Greetings AKEL General >
AKEL's proposal for incentives to Turkey and the Turkish community, which it submitted three years ago and resubmitted to President Christodoulidis, remains relevant, stated the party's General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou, saying that his party's position, as well as that of the UN Secretary-General in his reports after the wreck in Crans Montana is the resumption and continuation of the negotiation process from where it had left off with the convergences and the Guterres Framework.
In his greeting, the General Secretary of AKEL referred to the "reasonable and excruciating question: is it possible to expect that Turkey, whatever the outcome of the upcoming elections, can return to the tracks of Cran Montana? No one can answer that for sure. However, there is a strong belief on the part of AKEL that in order for this to happen, the Greek Cypriot side should give incentives to both the Turkish Cypriot community and Turkey.
AKEL's relevant proposal, he continued, becomes even more relevant given the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. "Precisely because in Turkey we propose incentives related to energy, which does not leave it unmoved, since it wants to acquire a role in the region. And to the Turkish Cypriot community, we propose participation in the energy plans immediately upon reaching the strategic agreement, which of course should respect political equality and in particular the aspects of the rotating presidency and the positive Turkish Cypriot vote for decision-making in the Council of Ministers of the future federal Republic. ?.
Stefanos Stefanou referred to the Christofia – Talat convergences, where “it became possible to consolidate a Cypriot-owned process, which proved that we can work together for the common interest of both communities.” We were united by the common goal of a solution and reunification, which facilitated the achievement of important convergences even on issues that at first sight seemed unbridgeable. It took, he said, a lot of work and a lot of effort to reach convergences that respected the delicate balances and well-meaning concerns of both sides. "And this is not theoretical", he added.
As an example he cited the convergences regarding the way the federation was established (continuity VS state succession), the preservation of bizonality while respecting the three basic freedoms, the cross-voting for the first time in our history while preserving the influence of each community in the election of the executive power through weighting, the flow of Greek and Turkish citizens, which calmed the concerns of both communities regarding the demographic structure, etc. Two thorny issues, he noted, that remained pending due to the perennial position of the Turkish Cypriot side that they had to be resolved at a final stage, the security and territorial chapters, were essentially resolved in Crans Montana. "Let everyone consider what will happen if all this is lost and the negotiations restart from scratch. Either with the Tatar position for two states or with the position of some Greek Cypriots who do not accept political equality».
AKEL joint group – PTK
The General Secretary of AKEL also referred to the bilateral working group with RTK on matters of concern to the two communities. "The evaluation of current developments, the production of proposals and joint actions with the involvement of a significant number of executives of the two parties are the focus of this initiative", he said. They aspire, he said, for this initiative to become an example of bi-communal cooperation not only on the way to the overall solution of the Cyprus problem but also for the actual implementation of the solution in the future, noting that it is the first time that such an initiative has been undertaken.
Talaat and the Cyprus issue and developments in Turkey
In the Cyprus issue, the importance of Turkey is very great, no one can doubt that, said the former leader of the T/Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat in his own greeting, saying that an agreement cannot enter into force without the approval of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
The former leader of the Turkish Republic called the result of the first round of elections in Turkey expected, noting about the final result that "the race is 90 minutes". If the Turkish people, he said, are motivated to change the game, the situation can change. He expressed his assessment, however, that whichever side comes to power in Turkey, the general approach to the Cyprus issue will not have any differences.
Considering the impact on the Turkish economy, democracy, social life, the size of the interventions on the island, a very large majority of Turkish Cypriots definitely want the current government in Turkey n’ change, note.
Mehmet Ali Talat made a review from the time of the referendums until today in Cyprus, he said that 3.5 years with Tassos Papadopoulos in his own term could not make a single Technical Committee work, but the climate changed with his election Dimitris Christofias, with whom they had a common goal of finding a solution. They only had 1.5 years of negotiations together, they achieved a lot – noted – except for the issues of guarantees and territorial.
In Cran Montana, according to Mr. Talat, an element emerged: the majority of the E/K that supported President Anastasiades then, and President Christodoulidis now, cannot easily accept a federation solution, based on the political equality of the two communities. "This is what I saw, this is what I understood. I think Mr. Akinji also saw this disheartening reality on the day of the collapse (of the Cran Montana talks). Based on the information he has today, he asserted, and Nikos Christodoulidis "supports the attitude that Nikos Anastasiadis had at Cran Montana".
"If that is the case, things are painful for us, don't we? i know what to say Absurd opinions are presented, absurd proposals, opinions that no one will accept and that even the Turkish Cypriots will hardly accept. So the solution of the Cyprus issue is a dream for today, he continued.
Mehmet Ali Talat believes that in order to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem or to reach a rapprochement with the EU, we must return to the discussion of Turkey's role and this is primarily the duty of the Union. "It is imperative that Turkey's relations with the EU improve. If this does not happen, nobody should expect anything in Cyprus. Because power in Cyprus has been seized by Turkey to such an extent that it has reached the point of appointing the head of a political party, appointing a prime minister and changing ministers. Under these circumstances, I do not expect any action for a solution to the Cyprus issue, he said. He also noted that Turkey's relations with the EU exist and the Union provides financial support to Turkey for various projects.
Mr. Talat said that Turkey should be involved in the EU's energy policies, and maybe in some way the T/Ms. He also thinks that the MOUs may be good, but they have made the status quo permanent because everyone is happy with this situation, while the goal should have been the solution.
Mr. Talat said that it would be nice a bi-community solar project, back in the day – noted – there was a proposal for a joint university in the buffer zone, and it must – as mentioned – to keep alive the need for a solution with such actions.
«The Turkish Cypriots should not be punished»
The Turkish Cypriots, said Mehmet Ali Talat , they should not continue to be punished today for mistakes made by some of their leaders and considers the acceptance by the EU of the Turkish language as official, symbolic but with a message to the Turkish community. It will send the message, he said, that the EU wants the Turks in the Union, and that it is not completely excluding Turkey. “(It will send the message that) if it meets EU standards, we want to bring Turkey closer to the Union.” I think all this is very important, concluded Mr. Talat.
Source: CYPE
