Cyprus leaders urged to relaunch negotiations
The European Commission has urged the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in Cyprus to step up their efforts to relaunch negotiations on a comprehensive settlement under UN auspices.
In its Enlargement Strategy 2007 Report issued today along with the Progress Reports for the EU candidate countries (Croatia, FYROM and Turkey) and EU potential candidates (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo), the Commission said it was implementing the instrument of financial support for encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, facilitating the future re-unification of the island.
“Enhanced use of the Green Line Regulation, which allows for the movement of persons and goods throughout Cyprus, will serve the interests of both communities,” the Commission said, adding that “the regulation on direct trade with the northern part of Cyprus, proposed by the Commission to further reduce the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community remains to be adopted by the Council.”
In its text for Turkey in the same Report, the Commission said that with regard to regional issues, Turkey has expressed continued support for UN efforts to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.
“However there has been no progress towards normalization of bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey has not fully implemented the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement and has not removed all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on direct transport links with Cyprus,” it added.
Speaking during a press conference in Brussels, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the Commission expects progress in the accession negotiations with Turkey in the course of the year, adding that at least two chapters could be opened in the coming weeks, that of Consumer and Health Protection and of Trans-European Networks.
He also recalled that “8 chapters will not be opened until Turkey has fulfilled the commitments related to the Ankara protocol in line with the Council conclusions of 11th of December last year.”
Turkey which is aspiring to become an EU member state has been occupying 37% of Cyprus territory since 1974 and refuses to implement the Customs Union Protocol by opening its ports and airports to Cyprus, and EU member state since May 1, 2004.
The EU General Affairs Council agreed unanimously on Dec 11, 2006, to sanction Turkey for failing to respect its trade obligations to Cyprus by freezing eight chapters of the acquis communautaire, covering the policy areas relevant to Turkey's restrictions as regards the Republic of Cyprus, a decision that has been endorsed by EU leaders.
In the 2007 Progress Report for Turkey the Commission noted that this country maintained its restrictions on direct transport links with Cyprus. Furthermore it said that Turkey has further improved its ability to take on the obligations of membership, recalling that owing to Turkey's non compliance with its obligations related to the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement in December 2006, the EU decided to freeze eight chapters of the negotiations, but to continue with the other chapters.
“Progress was made in most areas, in particular in the chapters on free movement of goods, financial services, trans-European Networks, and science and research. However, alignment needs to be pursued, in particular in areas such as, free movement of services, state aid, agriculture, fisheries, food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policies, and environment. Fulfillment of short-term priorities under the Accession Partnership is lagging behind in many areas,” the Commission said.
It added that Turkey continues to sufficiently fulfill the Copenhagen political criteria and has overcome smoothly its political and institutional crisis, noting that there has been some progress in legislative reform of the public administration, and some progress has been made in improving the efficiency of the judiciary.
“More action has been taken to improve women's rights. The reported number of cases of torture and ill-treatment continued to decrease. Turkey has made progress on the ratification of international human rights instruments and in implementing the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments”, the Commission said.
However, it noted “there was limited progress on political reforms in 2007. Significant further efforts are needed on freedom of expression and on the rights of non-Muslim religious communities. Further progress is needed on the fight against corruption, the judicial system, trade union rights, children's and women's rights, cultural rights, as well as civilian oversight of the security forces.”
It is now important that the new government takes immediate action on these priority areas, the Commission stressed, adding that freedom of expression and freedom of religion are the most urgent issues, on which we want to see the government take action without delay.
It also underlined that there has been a further increase in terrorist attacks by the PKK adding that it is crucial that Turkey and Iraq continue to tackle this problem through cooperation between the relevant authorities and by respecting international law.Rehn said “the EU condemns all terrorist attacks and understands Turkey’s need to protect its citizens” stressing at the same time the need for the respect of the rule of law.
As regards economic criteria the Commission said Turkey can be regarded as a functioning market economy and it should be able to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union in the medium term, provided that it implements its comprehensive reform programme to address structural weaknesses.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
EU warns Turkey over lack of communication with Cyprus air traffic control
THE LACK of communication between air control centres in Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus is seriously compromising air safety in the Nicosia Flight Information Region, the European Commission said yesterday.
It was the first time the Commission addressed the lack of communication between the two countries in its annual progress report on Turkey’s accession course.The report said Turkey had not engaged with the Commission in negotiations on a "horizontal air transport agreement", and did not accept Community designation, a fundamental requirement under Community law.
“Air Traffic Management is suffering from a lack of regional co-operation,” the report said.
It said Turkey refused to bring its bilateral air service agreements with member states in line with Community Law. “The lack of communication between air control centres in Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus compromises air safety,” said the report.
“Preparations in this area are under way.” It did not elaborate.
Since the Council's decision of December 2006, Turkey has made no progress towards fully implementing the Additional Protocol and had made no progress on normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus, the report said.
“The EU asked Turkey to remove all remaining restrictions on the free movement of goods, including restrictions on means of transport regarding Cyprus,” it added.
Currently, Greek Cypriot air and sea traffic are banned from Turkish ports and airports.Following Turkey's non-fulfilment of its obligation of full and non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol, the Council decided in December 2006 that accession negotiations would not be opened on eight chapters relevant to Turkey's restrictions regarding the Republic of Cyprus, and that no chapter would be provisionally closed until the Commission confirmed that Turkey had fulfilled its commitments.
“Turkey needs to fulfil its obligation of full non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Ankara agreement and to remove all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on the means of transport vis-?-vis the Republic of Cyprus,” the report said.
Commenting on the Cyprus issue, the Commission said the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities needed to step up their efforts to relaunch negotiations on a comprehensive settlement under UN auspices.
The Commission was implementing the instrument of financial support for encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, and facilitating future re-unification of the island, it noted.
“Enhanced use of the Green Line Regulation, which allows for the movement of persons and goods throughout Cyprus, will serve the interests of both communities.”
It added that the regulation on direct trade with the northern part of Cyprus – opposed by the Cyprus government – remained to be adopted by the Council. Also on a political level, the Commission’s report said that in the case of Cyprus v. Turkey, the Committee of Ministers decided to close the examination of the violations established in relation to the right to education and freedom of religion of Greek Cypriots in the north, at its meeting in April.
Issues which remain pending include restrictions on the property rights of Greek Cypriots in the north and the issue of missing persons.As regards the property right’s of Greek Cypriot refugees, the Commission said that the December 2006 Court ruling in the Xenidis Arestis case found that the new property commission in the north had in principle fulfilled the requirements indicated by the Court.
“However, the Court did not address the effectiveness of the remedy due to lack of agreement between the parties on the issue of just satisfaction,” it said.
Pertev steps down as Talat adviser
RASIT Pertev has resigned as Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s chief political adviser, saying he is giving up his top post in order to form a new political party with “a truly reformist agenda”.
Widely seen as a moderate, Pertev handed his resignation to Talat on Sunday night, telling his ex boss, he felt it was time for him to go it alone in Turkish Cypriot politics.
“At first he [Talat] did not want to believe it. He was surprised,” Pertev told the Mail yesterday, but added: “We have got on well for the last four years, and he respected my decision.”
His resignation followed days of press speculation that the ex-World Bank employee was indeed seeking to form a new political entity and would therefore be forced to give up his post in the Turkish Cypriot administration.
As chief advisor to Talat, Pertev often led negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side under UN auspices. Pertev says he will now concentrate on putting together a team that, if one day elected, would seek to “fight corruption, bring about accountability and introduce non-partisan governance”.
“Unfortunately, these concepts do not exist here in northern Cyprus,” he said, adding that his aim was to reform northern Cyprus “from top to bottom”.
Openly critcising current and past administrations in the north, Pertev added that ‘governments’ had failed to provide what he termed “good governance” because they promised certain individuals “gains and protections” which made them “unable to implement policies for the broader good”.
He then took a further swipe by saying, “If you’ve never seen a reform in your life, how are you going to implement one?”
On how his party would approach the Cyprus problem, Pertev said he believed there was currently “convergence” in Turkish Cypriot thinking, and that rather than debating between models of federation, confederation and separate states, his party would seek “new paradigms” for the resolution of differences.
Asked who would be included in his team, Pertev said it would consist of a mixture of old and new faces.
“There is good in the old, and good in the new,” he said.
Commenting on the resignation, Talat’s spokesman Hasan Ercakica told the Mail he had not been aware of problems between Pertev and Talat, and added that “maybe he [Pertev] really believes he can form a political party and be successful politically”. So far, no successor has been named to take Pertev’s place.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Cyprus a state under attack from itself
The Republic of Cyprus since its entry into the European Union in October 2005 has faced an unprecedented increase in crime, domestic unrest, a massive hike in immigrant arrivals and in general a fundamental demographic change on the Mediterranean island.
An analysis of the last 6 months headlines and news from the Cypriot media has shown stories ranging from attacks on the islands Police force Cyprus Mail 16/10/07 "Lucky escape for policeman as bomb fails to go off", to stories of farmers striking, a rise of fraud "Crime gang conning store owners with fake cheques" to a general upward trend in crime and disorder.
Statistics from the Justice Ministry in Cyprus shows that a new rise in the number of serious crimes committed in Cyprus, from 7,250 in 2005, to 7,955 last year, an increase of almost 10 per cent.The Cyprus Mail said "even more concern is the longer-term trend, which shows an increase in serious crime of 67 per cent since 2002. In 2002, there were just two murders, compared to 14 last year, 131 rapes compared to 30 last year, 1,228 break-ins to 3,082 in 2006, 948 thefts to 1,618… The list goes on."
"Police are struggling to cope ...the police’s efforts also need to be understood in the perspective of the means at their disposal. Crime has almost doubled in the past four years, yet their resources and manpower has not kept pace."
The Cyprus Mail Immigration figures released by the Cypriot Government have shown around 150,000 new entrants to the island, with a population of 800,000 this is a massive increase for the island and its resources.
Cyprus also has the unenviable record of being the only member state of the European Union which is illegal occupied by a foreign nation, Turkey.
Turkish Cypriot leader urges UN to end Cyprus division
Turkish Cypriot President Mehmed Ali Talat called on the United Nations Tuesday to help end the division of Cyprus, warning that unless an solution is found soon, the current state would become irreparable.
Talat met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters to press his demand, saying that he proposed confidence-building measures, including a military solution and cross-border visits, to facilitate negotiations with the Greek Cypriot community. He would not give details of the measures.
'We reiterate and emphasize our position that Turkish Cypriots are ready for a comprehensive and urgent solution,' Talat told reporters after the meeting with Ban.
'An urgent solution is a fact and reality because time is running out and the division is becoming more and more permanent,' he said. 'So we asked for the secretary general's involvement and asked him to take an initiative for starting full-fledged negotiations aiming at a solution before the end of 2008.'
Talat reiterated support for a series of discussions over the past two years, mostly led by then UN political adviser Ibrahim Gambari, to prepare for a fresh attempt at final negotiations to end the division. Gambari is now leading UN efforts to bring democracy to Myanmar.
The Turkish Cypriot community in northern Cyprus is not recognized by the United Nations and is supported solely by Turkey, which has stationed military troops there since 1974.
A 2004 plan to reunite the island, proposed by then-Secretary General Kofi Annan, was defeated by Greek Cypriots in a referendum. Turkish Cypriots in the north approved the plan.
The Greek Cypriot part in the south, known as the Republic of Cyprus is a member of the UN and European Union. Its president, Tassos Papadopoulos, told the UN General Assembly in September that he supports a federation to end the division, but insisted on Turkey withdrawing its military contingents from northern Cyprus.
A UN peacekeeping operation has been manning a so-called ceasefire line separating the two communities. But in recent years, the borders between the two sides opened to allow tens of thousands of people to visit the other side even though there are no formal diplomatic relationship between them.
Cyprus on its own over Syria ferry dispute
WITH THE government scrambling to put a stop to the ferry service between Syria and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot regime, reports yesterday suggested Nicosia was on its own and could not expect any help from the EU.
Politis quoted sources at the office of EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn as saying the use of occupied Famagusta port was not illegal under international law and that the issue was a bilateral one between Cyprus and Syria.In addition, they said the designation of Famagusta port as illegal was a unilateral decision by the Cyprus government after 1974 and could not affect Syria as far as international law was concerned.
The EU would not intervene, they said, because neither the EU nor the UN had ever imposed an embargo on ports in the north.Only direct flights to the north can be considered illegal since the issue is governed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation under the Chicago Convention. The same rules do not apply under maritime law.
Only the issue of trade is applicable as far as the EU is concerned, and that relates to tariffs, not to the actual trading out of the ports in the north. The reason most foreign ships do not dock in the north is due to the ban imposed by the Cyprus Republic, which would arrest and charge the captain of any vessel who visited the north and went on to dock in Limassol or any other legal port.
Since Limassol is a major port in the region, most foreign ships comply.In an attempt to persuade Syria to put a stop to the twice-weekly ferry services, the honorary president of socialist EDEK Vassos Lyssarides will fly to Damascus on Saturday as an envoy of the government.
“If everything goes well, I will be in Damascus on October 20,” Lyssarides said.“These issues need careful handling and the common aim is to lift any negative consequences and to establish the traditionally friendly relations that existed and we believe still exist between Syria and Cyprus,” Lyssarides said.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Cyprus humiliate Toshack
The long and unrewarding road travelled by Wales since they failed to qualify for Euro 2004 reached a depressing sojourn on the holiday island. Cyprus leapfrogged Wales in the table with a thoroughly deserved win in which they displayed all the energy, purpose and spirit that Wales sorely lacked.
The only surprise was that Wales led through a James Collins goal scored midway through the first half and held the advantage until the 59th minute when Okkas’s superbly-timed run to reach a free kick by Efstathios Aloneftis exploited the kind of woeful Welsh defending which undermined them throughout.
Captain Craig Bellamy, who played 10 days after undergoing a groin operation, and his strike partner, Freddy Eastwood, received virtually no service and the midfield of Simon Davies, Carl Robinson and Joe Ledley were bereft of drive and ideas. The result was painfully inadequate.
“I will have to have a long, hard look at myself and what I am doing here,” said Toshack.
Last month’s 5-2 win in Slovakia had encouraged Wales. But they showed too little respect and not enough will to battle, dropping off their opponents and surrendering territory and possession, which put pressure on defenders Danny Gabbidon and James Collins. Stretched repeatedly, they offered up huge holes to Aloneftis and Okkas. If they had been more clinical earlier, the winning margin would have been more emphatic.
Bale provided the only productive outlet for Wales and one of his rampaging runs down the left flank yielded a free kick from which Collins scored. The Tottenham defender swung the free kick across the box to the back post for the unmarked Collins.
Welsh relief was instantly apparent, for chances were few and far between as Wales lacked continuity and were never in control of the ball.
Wales were almost undone by a long ball played into Konstantinos Makridis, who just failed to get a touch before Coyne, coming off his line, gathered. He saved another header by Alexis Garpozis from a free kick by Aloneftis as Cyprus finished the half strongly.
Within 15 minutes of the restart, Cyprus were level. Aloneftis played another quality delivery into the box and Okkas timed his run perfectly to head past Coyne. Wales fell apart when Nicolau crossed from the right for Aloneftis at the back post and Okkas scored from close range to fire the Cypriots ahead.
Referee: C Bertolini (Switzerland)