Union ? Which Union ?

Union ? Which Union ?

All Turkish governments of recent years, despite their different shades, pursued an insistent policy of integration with the EU, regardless of numerous indications that she would not be accepted for various apparent or fabricated reasons. The EU's signals kept getting louder and clearer over time; but Turkey did not seem to get the true message hidden behind the real criticism of Turkey.

Although there is truth in Turkey's claim that the EU is prejudiced against Turkey as regards Greece, and uses double standards as regards human rights, it is equally true that Turkey did not seriously focus, in the intervening period since her application, on doing her homework and cleaning her own house from being immerged in petty oldtime politics and in fighting an unprecedented terrorist activity. These problems in turn paved the way for the religious right to gain enough ground to come to power and complicate the political life even further, to the extent that the religious politics became yet another obstacle in Turkey's way to integration with EU.

However, there is another aspect that does not seem to strike the Turks. Does it not occur to them that these facts also provide the EU a pretext for finally getting the Cyprus thorn out of Europe's sore side? The EU is incessantly nagged by its problem child Greece over Cyprus. It cannot bring to order its spoiled child since it gave birth to it in 1821. Many EU members are aware who created the Cyprus problem, and who is still creating provocative incidents in relations with Turkey, following the same pattern of creating problems within NATO and within EU (Greece has the worst record before the EU courts for the implementation of EU Regulations). But the EU cannot bring itself to openly side with Turkey, may it be in the name of justice, at the expense of antagonizing one of the EU members, may it be that the member is a recognized trouble maker.

They are aware that uniting the two communities on the island under no matter which political formula will mean eventual absorption of the whole island and thus the Turkish community by Greece. And, this means seeding even bigger problems for the future. Having recognized the southern and not the northern Cyprus, then having explored every avenue to solve the problem for many decades over the Greek intransigence, they see no better solution than the partition of the island. The EU can achieve this justice by forcing the TRNC and Turkey to a de facto unity similar to the one that exists between Greece and South Cyprus. This is a solution without antagonizing Greece and with all the while condemning Turkey for acting brutally. Isn’t this what they are doing in fact by pushing TRNC and Turkey to a corner?

The EU cannot and will not do anything but look the other way while this fait-accompli happens. It will, however, merrily make the usual protestations and condemnations of the Turkish action. Having not recognized the TRNC the EU does not have an entity to condemn in the person of the TRNC. Thus, the EU will kill three birds with one stone: Finally resolve the Cyprus issue; Give the appearance of siding once again with its spoiled child Greece; Enjoy yet another opportunity of Turkey bashing. How ingenious and what fun will it be!

However, the initiating action of unification with Turkey should come from the TRNC, it should grab the opportunity and, without wasting any more time, end its misery of long exclusion from the international community. Just as the Hatay Republic did in 1939. In other words, Turkey should forget about the European Union, and Cypriot union; it should rather focus on the Turkish union.
Dec. 15, 1997