Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-06-24

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 110/98 -- 24.6.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash goes to Austria; says Turkish side not bluffing.

[02] So-called envoy claims hot clash on Cyprus may collapse southern NATO.

[03] Turkish claim that Russia sends agents to the free areas.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] Turkish commentary on the background to the Cyprus problem, `Cold War´ with EU.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash goes to Austria; says Turkish side not bluffing

Addressing a statement at the Ataturk Airport before leaving for Austria where he will give a speech at a conference about ``Cyprus'' which is being held by the Diplomacy Academy of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Denktash in reply to a question on the landing of Greek warplanes to Cyprus, claimed:

``Such kinds of issues don`t only concern the security of Turkey, but also the security of the region. A Greek Cypriot newspaper said that everything can be written about Turkey except that Turkey can bluff. The newspaper stressed that Turkey does the things she promises to do. The newspaper tried to warn the Greek Cypriot leadership. I also warn them. Neither Turkey nor we bluff. I had said that we would set up a government and be a state, they said that we bluffed. I established the state, it is 15 years old today.''

[02] So-called envoy claims hot clash on Cyprus may collapse southern NATO

Addressing a conference on ``the Cyprus question: A volcano Ready to Explode'' staged by the Austrian branch of the European Association of Turkish Academicians (EATA) in Vienna, Seydali alleged that what they wanted was a just solution.

[03] Turkish claim that Russia sends agents to the free areas

According to the report, it has been ascertained that the Russian Foreign Intelligence Organization has dispatched 20 of its agents to the free areas of Cyprus, most of whom can speak Turkish. Also that 530 of the nearly 6, 000 companies in Cyprus are Russian firms and many of their officials and technicians carry forged British passports and they use them to cross from the free areas to the occupied area of Cyprus without difficulty.

The report further claims that the Turkish intelligence group in the pseudostate has established that the Russian agents, who arrived in Cyprus from Moscow in the past four months, have tried to collect information on the military activities in the ``TRNC'' for Greece and the Greek Cypriot side. ``The group cooperated with the intelligence organizations of some of the friendly countries to acquire the information. It also has been reported that the Russian agents have been identified and the officials have acquired their biographies and photographs,'' the report says.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] Turkish commentary on the background to the Cyprus problem, `Cold War´ with EU

``Just two years ago, those for and against Turkey reckoned that Turkey would become a EU member. But today, let along membership, Turkey seems to have entered a period of very tense relations with the EU and individual EU countries.

Such a turn of events escaped the prediction of both the politicians and the Foreign Ministry bureaucracy. The thing is the new situation is not transitory, it is permanent and will affect Turkey´s foreign policy for decades to come. It is obvious that society will give bad marks to those institutions that failed to predict this turn of events. What about the deep state (term used by Islamists to denote unselected forces, such as the Army, that run the country behind the scenes), was it any better in predicting it and devising effective policies. We will get an answer to this question in the period ahead.

The argument that ``the United States understood Turkey´s growing strategic importance whereas Europe failed to grasp it'' is extremely shallow and mistaken.

What is actually happening is this: The United States needs us in our region, whereas the EU wants an ineffectual Turkey in the same region. That is why the EU and the major EU countries have assumed a hostile attitude towards Turkey. Their aim is not only to keep Turkey out of the EU but also to render Turkey ineffectual in the Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia by pursuing policies that are counter to that of Turkey´s. To achieve that, Turkey will be placed under a political siege and its energy redirected from the outside world to the domestic world by fomenting domestic destabilization.

Let alone making Turkey a member, the EU has not even given the slightest hope in that direction or left any door ajar. The Armenian genocide bill adopted at the French Parliament is the continuation of that attitude. Greece´s provocations against Turkey and the latest situation in Cyprus are all part of that policy. This trend will continue with added intensity, Turkey-EU relations have entered a new tough and highly tense era. We could describe this as the ``cold war'' era between Turkey and the EU. Presently we are going through the veiled period of that cold war era.

The EU wants to make the Greek Cypriot sector a member. I had already once mentioned in this column the EU´s statement censuring Turkey ``for not respecting the EU borders.'' It was made in connection with the Imia, or Kardak, crisis. The EU considered Greece´s border as its own. Once the Greek Cypriot sector becomes an EU member, the EU´s borders will also extend to the middle of Cyprus as well. The Greek Cypriot sector´s accession to the EU means EU´s inroad into the eastern Mediterranean.

The objective of such a move is only too obvious: By making the Greek Cypriot sector a member, the EU aims to secure a foothold in the eastern Mediterranean so as to limit the United States´ hegemony in the region. It will later be able to advance that objective to the Middle Eastern theater.

A more interesting development here concerns the S-300 missiles. The siting of S-300 missiles and their radar in the Greek Cypriot sector means the realization of Russia´s 300-year-long dream of descending to warm waters. The S-300 missiles are forging a Free Russian Commonwealth in the eastern Mediterranean. While Russia does not oppose the Greek Cypriot sector´s EU membership, the EU in turn does not oppose Russia siting missiles and radar on the territory of a future member.

In a way, the interests of the United States and Turkey coincide in maintaining the status quo on the island as it is. But that situation should not slacken Turkey´s reflexes, because the United States will never give Turkey the same amount of support that it gives to Greece over the Cyprus and Turkish-Greek issues in general. It cannot upset the balance that itself established between Greece and Turkey 50 years ago. It cannot do it even if it wants to. For it can neither enter into any serious conflict with the EU nor sacrifice Greece entirely.

It is precisely for this reason that the United States is in a serious dilemma over Cyprus. It will not be wrong to view Holbrooke´s fruitless trips and his failure so far to have come up with any proposal for solution as the reflection of this dilemma. This means that the United States could only render limited support to Turkey against Cyprus and Greece. That is why Turkey has to review its entire foreign policy, beginning with its relations with Cyprus and Greece.

Reviewing Turkey´s foreign policy also necessitates the revision of its domestic policy. The tense relations with the EU, the EU´s policy of encirclement, emasculation, and destabilization of Turkey; only limited support from the United States; and unstable relations with Russia show that the long period ahead will be a difficult one, demanding the utmost vigilance from Turkey.

Turkish-Greek relations are the ``hot contact point'' of the ``cold war'' in the offing between Turkey and the EU. This is reason enough for Turkey to increase its vigilance. It is for this reason that a debate on a new foreign policy should be initiated in Turkey with the participation of every section of society and the entire population.

It is obvious that we will go through a difficult period. That requires Turkey to forge domestic unity and solidarity. Here lies the foreign policy´s link with the domestic policy, and this point is important.

The unity and solidarity that have to be consolidated as a hedge against the worsening conditions abroad cannot be achieved by arbitrary measures. The country needs a serious communal reconciliation, which can be attained only if the state stops taking sides in these debates. The threats against and restrictions on the freedom of religion and conscience need to end.

The difficult period ahead for Turkey, wittingly or unwittingly, reminds us of the first quarter of the 20th century. As such, it would be boundlessly beneficial for us all to recall the first Grand National Assembly and the democratic climate existing in Turkey then.''

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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