‘Conference’ welcomed
Turkish president proposes regional meeting of East-Med countries including the TRNC
TURKISH Cypriot leaders this week welcomed proposals by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to hold a “regional conference” involving countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, including the TRNC.
Mr Erdoğan mooted the idea on Tuesday as a way to resolve ongoing tensions in the region over maritime boundaries and disputed offshore exploration rights.
In a video message to the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations, he said he would “like to repeat our [Turkey’s] call for establishing dialogue and cooperation” between Eastern Mediterranean states.
“We would like to propose the convening of a regional conference, including Turkish Cypriots, in which the rights and interests of all the countries of the region are considered,” Mr Erdoğan said.
He also suggested his plan to European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a video call with them on Tuesday.
The move was welcomed by senior politicians in North Cyprus.
“This is a very positive development and we are ready to participate in the conference,” Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said in a statement.
“It was very constructive for President Erdoğan to propose to the European Union that issues relating to the Eastern Mediterranean should be considered at a regional conference, which would also involve the Turkish Cypriots.
“Such a conference could claim a place in history and we would be a part of it.”
Also welcoming the proposal was independent presidential candidate Serdar Denktaş, who said: “I salute President Erdoğan’s concept of a regional conference regarding Eastern Mediterranean issues that would include Turkish Cypriots, as it would be a great opportunity to end tensions in the region.
“I was also very happy that he firmly expressed a view that Turkish Cypriots are a party to issues in the region and have rights there that need to be protected.
“As Turkish Cypriots, our rights in the Eastern Mediterranean are indisputable and in order to protect them we need a compatible and determined policy with our strategic partner, Turkey.”
President Mustafa Akıncı described the “exploratory talks” idea as “a promising development”.
“As someone who supports dialogue and negotiation to resolve potential conflicts in the Eastern Mediterranean relating to natural gas, I believe the talks could turn the disputed sea into a reservoir of peace,” he said.
Mr Erdoğan’s full comments on Cyprus in his address to the UN General Assembly:
“Behind the tension existing in the Eastern Mediterranean for a while, there are countries acting with the understanding of ‘the winner takes all’. The futile steps to exclude our country have no chance of success.
“We do not have designs on anyone else’s right, remedy and legitimate interests, neither in the Eastern
Mediterranean nor in any other region.
“However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the violation of the rights of our country and the Turkish Cypriots and to the fact that our interests are being ignored.
“The reason for the problems existing in the region today is the one-sided steps taken by Greece and the Greek Cypriots since 2003 with maximalist demands.
“Turkey is a country that is compelled to shoulder the burden of any negative developments in the Eastern Mediterranean by itself. On the other hand, ignoring our country when it comes to the natural resources in the region can be explained neither by wisdom and conscience nor by international law.
“Our priority is to settle disputes in a sincere dialogue, based on international law and on an equitable basis. However, I would like to clearly state that we will never tolerate any imposition, harassment, or attack in the opposite direction.
“I would like to repeat here our call for establishing dialogue and cooperation between coastal countries of the Eastern Mediterranean.
“For this purpose, we would like to propose the convening of a regional conference, including Turkish Cypriots, in which the rights and interests of all the countries of the region are considered.
“One of the reasons for the crisis in the region is the absence of a fair, comprehensive, and permanent solution to the Cyprus issue during the negotiations that have been continuing intermittently since 1968.
“The only obstacle to a solution is the uncompromising, unjust and spoiled approach of the Greek Cypriot side. Ignoring international agreements, the Greek Cypriot side aims to make the Turkish Cypriots a minority in their homeland, or even completely exclude them from the island.
“As a guarantor country, we have never left the Turkish Cypriot people alone in their rightful cause, and we will not leave them [on their own] in the future.
“The solution to the Cyprus issue is possible only by accepting the fact that the Turkish Cypriot people are the co-owners of the island. We will support any solution that will permanently guarantee the security of the Turkish Cypriot people and their historical and political rights on the island.”