| October 8, 2003 The Washington Times Dear Editor: We applaud your October 6, 2003 Editorial "Sorting Out Cyprus," which correctly recognizes the importance to U.S. interests to pursue a resolution of the Cyprus issue. The Cyprus issue should matter to the U.S. and its resolution should be high priority in the foreign policy agenda for a two-fold set of reasons: 1) to ensure stability in the Southeastern Mediterranean and 2) to benefit from its proximity to Iraq and the Middle East. In addition, it can serve as a unifying initiative between the U.S. and Europe. However, your assessment that "the Cyprus issue has a reasonable chance of being resolved relatively soon" has one major flawed premise, namely Turkey! None of the factors mentioned as being positive—"elections" in the occupied Turkish part, Cyprus’ E.U. accession, and the so-called peace blueprint, the Annan Plan—can contribute to a "relatively soon" solution unless Turkey changes its position. The Annan plan has serious flaws but is a good basis for negotiations. The U.S Administration knows very well that it is the Turkish government that supports Denktash’s intransigence, and this is where the U.S. should invest more diplomatic resources if it wants a solution. Indeed, the time is ripe for positive movement on a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, now that U.S.-Turkey relations are being reassessed. Despite Turkey’s denial to let the U.S. troops create a northern front against the Hussein regime during the Iraq War, the U.S. rewarded Turkey by giving $1 billion in foreign aid and by approving an $8.5 billion loan. Given that a successful foreign policy "cocktail" should include the right mix of sticks and carrots, it’s past time that the U.S. set specific conditions to Turkey with regard to the Cyprus issue. The U.S. in its own interests should condition aid to Turkey on (1) removing all its occupation forces and colonists from Cyprus; (2) supporting a settlement of the Cyprus problem through negotiations based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in a sovereign state, the EU acquis communautaire, democratic norms, U.N. resolutions on Cyprus and the pertinent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights; and (3) returning to the government of Cyprus now, Varosha/Famagusta and Morphou areas under U.N. supervision for the return of refugees to their homes. Until such time that the U.S. pressures Turkey, the aggressor and occupier, to get out of Cyprus, the possibilities to achieve a just, viable and functional solution of the Cyprus problem will remain daunting.
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10-08-03 Letter to the Editor of The Washington Times
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