Sovereign Base Areas status the only important issue for UK says top aide
THE only important issue for the UK in Cyprus is the status of its Sovereign Base Areas, one of President Ersin Tatar’s top aides said.
Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, a National Unity Party MP and a member of Mr Tatar’s negotiating team who was present in the recent UN-hosted talks in Geneva, gave an interview with the TRNC’s state-run news agency Tak earlier this week.
Evaluating Britain’s position as one of the guarantor countries, Mr Hasipoğlu stated that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who represented Britain in Geneva, did not put forward any position regarding the proposals of both sides of the island.
He pointed out that the UK is one of the guarantor countries of Cyprus and one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as the island’s former administrator with two bases located here.
“They tried to take steps to guide the pre-summit process and find a middle ground,” Mr Hasipoğlu said.
“Even though they did not present any plans, they conveyed their fundamental ideas to us. However, they did not take such a position at the negotiating table in Geneva. They mentioned that both sides should be constructive and flexible. After all, it is the two bases on the island that are important to the UK. These two bases are representative of sovereignty. If Britain’s two bases, equivalent to 2.5 per cent of the land [in Cyprus] give them sovereignty, it is impossible to understand why our sovereignty over 37 per cent of the island has become questionable.”
Mr Hasipoğlu said that the Greek Cypriot side did not propose any new initiatives in Geneva. He expressed that the Greek Cypriot side’s ideal solution is a federation and that it repeated its initial position put forward in the failed Crans-Montana summit of 2017.
Mr Hasipoğlu said that UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres “listened carefully and took notes” regarding the proposals presented by the Turkish Cypriot side in Geneva.
“These meetings gave all parties the opportunity to put forward the real intentions they had in mind and what kind of administation style or cooperation model should be developed on our island in the future,” he said.
Emphasising that there has been no result from decades of negotiations for a bizonal and bicommunal federation, Mr Hasipoğlu continued: “If we had brought the same failed administration model again to the table, which has been discussed for nearly half a century, we would have approved the continuation of the current status quo.
“We have carried the biggest burden of this process that has lasted for years; we are internationally isolated and deprived of our fundamental rights. The Greek Cypriot side’s problem with us in sharing governance of this island and the wealth around it continues.
“They are still talking about the continuation of the existing Republic of Cyprus. While our differences of opinion on [property] ownership and the guarantees are still on the table, they have trouble even accepting our political equality.
“If we had agreed to come under their rule, there would have been common ground. They accuse us of turning the tables. On the contrary, we have created a solid base for a realistic, permanent and viable solution with the concept we have put forward.”
When asked how the suggestions of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side were received in Geneva, Mr Hasipoğlu replied:
“In the invitation letter sent to President Tatar by the UN Secretary-General, he conveyed the idea that ‘this time should be different’. Before we came to this meeting, we had clearly stated that we would put forward the two-state solution model. . . The UN did not say ‘there are Security Council resolutions taken regarding a federation so therefore you must discuss a federation’. He listened very carefully and noted the suggestions we put forward.”