How will supporters of a 2-state solution achieve their goal? asks British TC peer
PROPONENTS of a twostate solution in Cyprus have “failed to explain” how they will achieve their goal, a British Turkish Cypriot peer said this week.
Baroness Hussein-Ece said it was important to look at “where we are today” in regards to a possible Cyprus solution, during an online TV debate.
While respecting the suffering of Turkish Cypriots, she said “I don’t think it helps to keep [referring to] what happened” in reference to atrocities committed by Greek Cypriots from 1963 to 1974.
“We need to talk about what is possible to be achieved as Turkish Cypriots on the international platform,” Baroness Hussein-Ece said.
Alluding to the UNled “informal” Cyprus talks that are due to take place in Geneva from April 27 to 29, she said the international community are “getting fed up” with the Cyprus issue “and do not want to continue the Cyprus talks forever”.
“I hear that President [Ersin] Tatar . . . wants a two-state solution,” the Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords said. “But I don’t see any plan on how to achieve that. . . Is it possible to have a two-state solution? Who are you going to negotiate with? The UN is out. The EU is out. So, apart from Turkey, who are you going to negotiate with to achieve this two-state solution? A majority of Turkish Cypriots have EU passports. That would go . . . there would be a hard border. . . We are talking about annexation with Turkey. . . To be an independent viable country you cannot be dependent on another country.”
Baroness Hussein-Ece also claimed that “Greece is not interested in Cyprus at all” and that “there is no more Enosis . . . in fact they are fed up with it” and that Greece is trying to create better relations with Turkey.
Baroness Hussein-Ece was taking part in a programme called the UK and the World Agenda – Cyprus Peace Talks Special.
The show was presented by Ertan Karpazlı instead of Dr Alev Adil, who had come under fire as the host of the previous show, that featured former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, for using “pro-Greek terminology” by describing the TRNC as “illegal” and “under occupation”, as reported by Cyprus Today last month. Ms Adil took part as a guest this time and defended her position.
Also taking part in Monday night’s hour-long programme was National Unity Party Solidarity Association chairman and businessman Mehmet Bayramoğlu.
Mr Bayramoğlu lashed out at the previous programme for its “onesided views”.
“There is nothing illegal about the TRNC,” Mr Bayramoğlu said. “The illegality is the Republic of Cyprus, which is in the whole custody of the Greek Cypriots.
“We Turkish Cypriots were forced out through force of arms, way back in 1963 [when] Archbishop Makarios demanded [13] amendments to the Constitution, which we rejected.”
Mr Bayramoğlu explained that Turkey had intervened as a guarantor power in 1974.
“Therefore the TRNC is not under occupation,” he continued. “Turkish troops came to rescue us. . .when Nikos Sampson declared the Hellenic Republic of Cyprus on July 15, 1974.”
Attempts to forge a federal settlement have been exhausted following the refusal of Greek Cypriots to share power and resources with Turkish Cypriots, and their rejection of the “Annan Plan” in 2004 and the collapse of the talks in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in 2017, Mr Bayramoğlu pointed out. He said it was time to look for a new settlement on the basis of two states.