Cyprus is a great holiday destination, but it is also a geopolitical volcano. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not let go of the opportunity to irritate the European Union and anger Greece, and is very active during this holiday.
Among other things, he called on the two countries to resolve the long-standing Cyprus problem, and hoped to reopen parts of Varosha, a ghost town that was a blooming resort before 1974 and hosted Elizabeth Taylor and Richard. Celebrities such as Burton, Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot.
The author of this newsletter met Varosha during Cyprus’s presidency of the European Council in 2012, when the host graciously left journalists who wanted to privately visit the occupied territories of northern Cyprus. In fact, according to EU law, the entire territory of Cyprus is EU territory.
At that time, the Turkish Cypriots who talked to EURACTIV hoped to realize the unification of the island through UN-led talks, but despite their high hopes, Negotiations broke down in 2017.
Since then, the relationship between Greece and Turkey has deteriorated in many ways, especially in the context of offshore gas drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean. The climax of this escalation occurred in February 2020, when the Turkish authorities facilitated the entry of thousands of immigrants into Greece.
The most recent climax came just a few days ago, when Erdogan gave a speech in the Turkish part of Nicosia to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion that split the island in two in 1974.
He said that sooner or later the international community will accept the two-state solution and recognize the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TNRC)”. Turkey is the only country in the world that recognizes TRNC and retains 35,000 soldiers there.
Turkey’s influence has increased due to alliances with countries such as Azerbaijan against the common enemy (Armenians) or alliances within the framework of Pan-Turkism and the Turkic Council. The Turkic Council is a group of countries that speak the same language. Strangely, Hungary wants to join.
If Turkey pushes friendly countries to recognize TNRC, this is not only an extremely hostile act against the Republic of Cyprus, but also an extremely hostile act against the European Union. When Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, it joined the entire island territory. Turkish Cypriots who have or are eligible for EU travel documents are EU citizens.
In Erdogan’s game, the Turkish-speaking population of Cyprus had a lot of losses, but the truth is that, unlike his predecessor, the new Turkish Cypriot leader is allied with Ankara.
The EU must stand up for its territory. It must warn that any support for a two-state solution will be considered an act of hostility to the EU, with its economic and political consequences matching it.
It is time for the EU to become more involved in finding a viable solution to the Cyprus problem, rather than let the United Nations handle it.It would be a pity if history only recorded the EU as a power broker in Cyprus under the following circumstances Halloumi Controversy.
Unlike the European Union, which did not participate in the reunification negotiations, the United Kingdom plays a key role, so the Cyprus issue also has a Brexit perspective.
According to reports, Britain tried to downplay the final text of the UN Security Council in support of Turkey. As a guarantor, the United Kingdom has important interests in an island part of the EU family, which means that Cyprus may become the first collision test on foreign affairs between Brussels and London after Brexit.
Summary
German legislator They are providing stricter obligations for online platforms in the upcoming EU legislation because they worry that this may create rules that are weaker than their current national framework. EURACTIV report in Germany.
Croatia’s plan to put the famous inventor Nikola Tesla on Euro coins has aroused criticism in Serbia. The Central Bank of Serbia said on Monday (July 26) that it would Submit the question to the European Union.
EU’s plan China said on Monday (July 26) that the imposition of the world’s first carbon border tax would extend the climate issue to trade, which violates international principles and harms economic growth prospects.
Pay close attention, watch out, watch out…
- Janusz Wojciechowski met with Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh, Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture; lunch with Ms. Tereza Cristina Corrêa da Costa Dias, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil.
- Ursula von der Leyen hosted a meeting with the COVID-19 Advisory Group via video conference
Views are author’s
[Edited by Josie Le Blond, Benjamin Fox]
