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Turkey is largely isolated in the conflict over natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean. While Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Italy, among others, have come together to form an energy network, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has only the Libyan unity government in Tripoli on his side. During a visit to northern Cyprus, the Turkish president said that he would no longer tolerate “diplomatic games” in the dispute over natural resources.
Peace and stability can only be achieved if Turkey and Northern Cyprus are granted an adequate share of land rights, Erdogan said. In addition, the Turkish head of state called for talks to start on a two-state solution for the divided island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean.
“Today there are two separate peoples in Cyprus, two separate democratic orders and two separate states,” Erdoğan said on a visit to the internationally unrecognized Republic of Northern Cyprus. Therefore, “a two-state solution must be discussed and negotiated on the basis of sovereign equality.” His visit pushed a solution to the conflict very far.
The visit rekindles the conflict over a divided island
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following a Greek coup and Turkish military intervention. In the north is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey; The Republic of Cyprus in the south has been a member of the EU since 2004.
Erdogan’s trip to northern Cyprus is controversial. He was received by local president Ersin Tatar. The program also included a visit to the coastal settlement of Varosha, once inhabited by Greek Cypriots, an appointment with symbolic value.
Erdogan participated this Sunday in what he himself called a “picnic” in the neighborhood of the port city of Famagusta, which was still closed a few weeks ago. Varosha is under the government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), which is only recognized by Turkey. It is clear who the “real owners” of Varosha are, Erdogan said in a joint statement with Northern Cyprus President Tatar in Varosha.
The Turkish president was accompanied by the ultra-nationalist politician Devlet Bahceli, with whose party Erdogan’s Islamic-conservative AKP has a government alliance in Turkey. The visit to the coastal settlement restarts the conflict over the divided island of Cyprus.
The president of the Republic of Cyprus in the south, Nikos Anastasiades, had already described Erdogan’s visit to Varosha on Saturday as “an unprecedented provocation.” He also accused Erdogan of undermining the efforts of the United Nations (UN), which wants to start new negotiations to overcome the division of the Mediterranean island.
“Picnic” strains relations with Cyprus and Greece
The seemingly harmless “picnic” is further straining relations with Cyprus and Greece, with which Ankara is already battling over natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean. From the point of view of the EU country Cyprus, Erdogan’s visit to Varosha is seen as one more step towards the final division of the island.
Famagusta in the east of the island is a symbol of division. When Turkish tanks advanced on the city in August 1974, around 40,000 residents of the Greek Cypriot district of Varosha had to leave their homes.
The settlement was once a popular seaside resort where American actress Elisabeth Taylor went on vacation. After the Turkish intervention, the old tourist bastion was declared a restricted military zone. Since then, the area has resembled a ghost town. Hotels and houses are deteriorating. For decades, the UN has been demanding that the ghost town’s former residents, nearly all Greek Cypriots, be allowed to return to their city under United Nations administration.
But despite international criticism, the Turkish Cypriot government partially opened Varosha for the first time since 1974 in early October. Since then, a large stretch of beach has been accessible to vacationers and locals. Nicosia suspects that Ankara and hardline Tatars will gradually open up other parts of Famagusta after the beach and then open them for settlements, contrary to UN Security Council resolutions.
