From divided island to bridge

“Cyprus is an island, too small to be divided into two, in an ever greater Europe”, said the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Cyprus GEORGE LILLIKAS , a guest in Rome of the Dragàn Foundation, at the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. “In spite of the unilateral demolition of our defensive wall in the centre of the divided capital”, on 9 March – said Lillikas -, “the Turkish part refuses to accept the withdrawal of troops and does not permit the opening of another corridor for communication” between the two halves of the island. So half of the island continues to be controlled by the soldiers of Ankara, who destroy and profane Christian cult buildings. Cyprus is still very far from fulfilling its aspiration to a reunification of the two areas into which it is divided: to the south, the Republic of Cyprus, mainly Greek-Cypriot, independent since 1960 and member state of the European Union since 2004; to the north, the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic that has existed since 1974, unrecognised by the international community. “A free and united Cyprus can co-exist with a democratic Turkey, a Turkey that is European in conduct and in structure”, said Lillikas. A VERY TIGHT GRIP. “The nature of the problem of Cyprus remains unchanged – Lillikas continued -: the use of force against a sovereign state, a partition maintained with aggression and occupation, massive and persistent violations of human rights, destruction of the religious and cultural heritage, usurpation of properties, forced segregation of the population, and the attempt to impose the existence of a separate entity on the occupied zone. Turkey’s grip on Cyprus is still very tight”, reported the Cypriot Minister. “Despite its proclaimed European vocation, Turkey is still linked to an anachronistic view and pursuit of what it regards as its own strategic interests, in flagrant contradiction of the motivations underlying the process of European unification and of the fundamental values of the EU”. By contrast, “the peoples and nations of Europe have left behind them centuries of destructive wars and conflicts, in order to construct together a new political culture founded on dialogue and on a universal code of principles and values”. Cyprus’s membership of the EU represented “a milestone in our long history – added the Minister – and has contributed to the political and economic development of the EU in the Mediterranean”. “A bridge toward the Middle East”, Cyprus is “a reliable partner in the construction of a stable and secure Middle East” and “not a burden for Europe”. But the peace between peoples and religions that is a fundamental principle of the EU, continued Lillikas, must be translated into “reality also in this island of the Mediterranean that was European even before Europe established its frontiers and its members”. A SINGLE FAMILY. Lillikas recalled that the Republic of Cyprus has “supported Turkey’s application for EU accession and the negotiation process”, also in the hope that it “could contribute to reaching a solution” on the Cypriot question. “Our hope – said the minister – is that the European principles and values may form a solid basis for the protection of all Cypriots, both the Greek and the Turkish community”. In fact, the entry of Ankara into the EU would represent “a unique opportunity to drastically change the character of relations in our region, and promote the solution of disputes not with the use of force, but through peaceful negotiations between brothers of a single family”. The “refusal” of Turkey to “fulfil its own commitments to the Union and to Cyprus, in terms of human rights and civil liberties and respect for the customs and trade protocol” has so far offered little “reason for optimism”. “The Turkish-Cypriot leadership has obstructed the application of the Regulation of the Green Line, taxing imports of Greek-Cypriot products as if they were goods imported from a third state, in order to promote the idea that there are two separate states in Cyprus”. In spite of that, added Lillikas, “we continue to hope”. ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES. The Cypriot government has adopted provisions in favour of the Turkish community, permitting “access to free medical treatment, the issuing of passports and official documents of the Republic”. “Our objective – he added – remains the achievement of a negotiated and mutually acceptable solution, in conformity with international law, UN resolutions and the sentences of the European Court of Human Rights”. We aspire to a “federal State of Cyprus, with a single international and independent character”, in which “ethnic origin and cultural and religious diversities would be respected, but not to the detriment of the fundamental rights of citizens”. “We can succeed in living together in harmony with mutual respect in a unified Cyprus”, concluded the Cypriot minister.