Cyprus Today

ARIF HASAN TAHSIN DESEM

 I am a candidate for a party that it is a well-known party. I represent Patriotic Unity Movement, which has decisions on almost all aspects of politics. It never accepts interferences into its free choice. Cyprus policy is one of them. I say that we the Turkish Cypriots should decide Cyprus policy not Turkish foreign office. We are not that kind of opposition that waits Turkish foreign office to say some thing and then it adopts a position. An example: I say that I shall ask the administration to review the present day and adopt a policy paper that guides the foreign affairs.

   In front of us there are certain issues that need to be decision making on.

1.      Internationally accepted status quo ante is that  South represents the Republic but there is a Turkish Cypriot administration in the north other than an administration in the south. They are all parts of the Island. Until the problem of the existence of two administrations on the island resolved without altering the status quo ante we can do our best to create a better and less dangerous situation. We must have a program on confidence building and security along the cease fire line.

2.      Cyprus’s accession to the EU has already been accepted by the EU. We have to drop our objection to the application on the grounds that it was unilateral. There is a call for the participation in the accession talks. We can participate because it is not a call for change of the status quo ante. We can continue to with all means to carry on negotiation for the solution of the Cyprus question. Our position will not be changed by participating in the works on the EU acqui.

3.      Our all agreements are about a federal solution. We have to stick to our promises.

4.      Whole world decided to reject a new state on a recognized state. It is impossible to make a state to recognize TRNC. Therefore putting recognition as a precondition to a negotiation will mean giving an ultimatum. Acknowledgement is not a recognition but need to be defined because there is already an acknowledgement. There is no a definition thus putting it as a precondition means intransitence. Without any precondition we should accept face to face negotiation.

5.      Free will of a community can only be expressed when there is rule of law and democracy where and when state banned from disinformation and inflicting public opinion. Secret and underground organizations must be closed and state subsidies must be stop.

6.      There are other measures that must be implemented for being a civil society. I shall ask the House to change the administrative structure and bring the military under the civilian rule.

That is what my party and I represent.