The Turkish Cypriot administration has criticised the European Union's decision to appoint a special representative for the Cyprus issue, describing the move as a unilateral intervention ahead of the upcoming informal talks on the Cyprus problem.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Turkish Cypriot "foreign ministry" condemned the appointment of European Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the European Commission's special representative for Cyprus. It claimed the decision was made at the suggestion of the Greek Cypriot side and without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot community.
The statement described the appointment as a "provocative step" which, it argued, once again demonstrated what it called the European Union's "biased approach" to the Cyprus issue.
Question of credibility
The Turkish Cypriot administration also claimed that the EU had lost its neutrality and credibility in 2004, alleging that it had unilaterally admitted the Republic of Cyprus as a member state while disregarding the "rights and interests" of Turkish Cypriots.
It further argued that, at a time when there is "no common ground" between the two sides, the EU is attempting to create an "artificial process" ahead of the informal meeting expected in the coming days and to exert pressure on the Turkish Cypriot side by creating what it described as "faits accomplis". According to the statement, such efforts "are doomed to fail".
The statement also reiterated the Turkish Cypriot position that the EU is attempting to revive what it described as an "exhausted settlement model" that serves to preserve the existing status quo.
It maintained that a "realistic and lasting agreement" could only be achieved on the basis of the "sovereign equality" and "equal international status" of the two sides.
Concluding its statement, the Turkish Cypriot "foreign ministry" called on the European Union to lift what it described as the political, economic and cultural restrictions imposed on Turkish Cypriots. It argued that unless the EU recognises the Turkish Cypriot side's claimed sovereign equality and respects the will of the Turkish Cypriot community, any unilateral actions taken by the bloc would be regarded as invalid and would not be considered a basis for dialogue by the Turkish Cypriot administration.
Source: CNA
