FW interviews President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Sami Moubayed speaks with President Mehmet Ali Talat about the grievances and future of the Turkish Cypriot community, and their relations with neighboring Syria.

President Mehmet Ali Talat is a good neighbor-and loyal friend-that Syria does not really know. The 55-year old former electrical engineer is now president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which controls the northern third of the island of Cyprus. It has been an autonomous state since Turkish intervention took place, to protect the Turkish Cypriot community, in 1974. For many years the world refused to recognize TRNC, offering official statehood recognition only to the “Republic of Cyprus.” The international community imposed an air, ground, and sea embargo on TRNC. Only local and Turkish banks were allowed to operate on its territory. Many foreign companies were prohibited from opening branches, under pressure from the Greek Cypriots. The Republic of Cyprus declared that degrees offered by TRNC universities were “illegal.” Even athletes wishing to attend international tournaments were denied access, under claims that they did not represent a legal, official state. TRNC’s only friends were a handful of countries in the Islamic world, and Turkey.

Mehmet Ali Talat’s career runs parallel with that of TRNC. He studied electrical engineering at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, and became involved in student politics at a young age, playing an important role in establishing Turkish unions in Cyprus. He became minister of education in 1993, supervising his country’s finest commodity—academia—and drifted through government posts until becoming prime minister in 2004. Talat became prime minister in 2004 and won the presidential elections in his country on April 17, 2005, replacing former president Rauf Denktas. In 2004, a famed referendum was held by former UN Secretary-General Koi Anan, aimed at unifying Cyprus in advance of its entry in the EU. Talat, who was prime minister at the time, called on his citizens to vote “yes.” To some, uniting with the Greek Cypriots, under not-so-favorable conditions, was considered a concession. They were willing to make it, however, to end the prolonged isolation imposed on their country. The Anan Plan received overwhelming support in TRNC. The Greek Cypriot community, however, flatly rejected it. As a result, the plan was dropped but the EU said that it would work on ending the isolation of TRNC, through trade and commerce, in reward for their support of the Anan Plan.

Why is the world so misinformed about the status of TRNC? Has your government failed in its public relations campaign? What more can the TRNC government pro-vide to help the world better understand the grievances of its people? So long as your government is not proactive in this regard, the world will continue to forget-or ignore-the status of your people.

First of all, I should stress the deep effect of the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. The isolation is so deep that, it is sometimes impossible for the international community to hear our voice. But despite this fact, we are working very decisively to on one hand, get rid of the isolation, and on the other hand, to inform the international community. For the last 40 years, the Greek Cypriot side succeeded in creating a disguise regarding the Cyprus problem and totally shift the perceived basis of the Cyprus problem. The Cyprus problem has been on the agenda of the United Nations since 1963. But as a matter of distortion, the Greek Cypriot propaganda succeeded in creating a false perception that the problem started by the 1974 Turkish military intervention, which aimed at avoiding the coup d’etat organized by Greece to annex Cyprus to the mainland Greece. Our efforts to alter this perception did not yield any results until the Anan Plan and the referenda. When the Anan Plan came to the fore and it was put to referenda, the real attitudes of the two sides and the two peoples were revealed. The international community was shocked by the real attitude of Turkish Cypriots and their sincere intention to find a solution to the Cyprus problem despite the sacrifices the Anan Plan entailed. The Greek Cypriots’ negative approach to the uniication of the island shocked the international community even more deeply. The perception of the world was turned upside down and from that time onwards, we have been able to explain our political aim to the international community more easily. We are now in a much better situation and I believe that our intentions will be well received by the international community.

Continuing to live in such conditions is practically impossible. There is an air, ground, and commercial embargo on TRNC. Unemployment is low because most young men are not returning to work in TRNC. Pretty soon, if this trend continues, TRNC will become a ghost country, occupied only by the retired, the elderly, and those who accept to live on the margins of life. Your people have two choices before them: either to stick by their convictions, and continue to live in autonomy, supported only by one country in the world (Turkey). Or they can accept unification with the “Republic of Cyprus” and lobby for a new UN plan to solve the crisis, based on the Anan Plan. What is the best solution, in your point of view? Federation, union, or continued autonomy?

The young people were leaving the TRNC until the referenda in 2004. From that time on, when Turkish Cypriots proved that they were for a solution, they were for the unification of the island, the image of Turkish Cypriots has changed dramatically. The amount of foreign direct investment and the will to get in touch with Turkish Cypriots have grown substantially and the immigration has ceased, if not reversed. Now, Turkish Cypriots are not leaving the island anymore.

We are neighbors with Syria. We have the same religion. Syria is also a secular country.

On the contrary, they are trying to earn their livelihoods on the island. So there is no danger of TRNC becoming a ghost country any-more. We are not under threat of losing this political struggle anymore. And our policy is clearly to unify the island. To find a solution under the auspices of the United Nations. This would be a federal solution, which will be based on two equal constituent states, and the political equality of the two peoples. Hence, the ultimate solution for Turkish Cypriots is the unification of the island.

What if the Turkish support drops, for one reason or another? What would the government of TRNC do?

To give a theoretical answer, if this ever happens, it will definitely be a disaster for the Turkish Cypriots. However, our relations with Turkey are so close and so deep that, I do not think that such a development is possible. We know that we need Turkey. Turkey has invested in the presence of the Turkish Cypriots and their prosperity on this island.

So Turkey deserting Turkish Cypriots is out of question. Although at some instances, under some conditions, the level of support might fluctuate, this would not be at the expense of the well-being of Turkish Cypriots on the island.

Describe TRNC-Turkish relations at present, under Prime Minister Erdogan. What if he becomes president of Turkey, would anything change for TRNC?

Our relations with Turkey are excellent. The relations under the Prime Ministry of Mr. Erdogan, which coincides with my presence in the TRNC Prime Ministry and Presidency, are again perfect. I do not think that these excellent relations will change by any changes in government because they are very deep rooted and extremely crucial. We have deep relations with the government of Turkey now and we will continue to have good relations in the future.

TRNC invests heavily in education. Your Excellency was minister of education. All of your country’s main other products, like hallumi cheese and potatoes, for example, are off limits to the international market because of the embargo. Even the education sector, however, is currently threatened with politics and Greek Cypriots are saying that TRNC students hold “illegal” degrees. How can TRNC protect its only thriving sector, that of academia, when most countries in the world refuse to recognize degrees given from TRNC universities, despite their world-class education?

Actually it is not true that the diplomas of the TRNC universities are not recognized. Education cannot be put under restraint and the world class education in our universities is recognized by academia. Students who graduate from TRNC universities can get Master’s or PHD degrees at other universities in the world. We do not have any problems in that regard. The only upcoming threat to our universities seems to be the exclusion of our universities from the Bologna Process.* This is of crucial importance since the European-wide recognition of the universities in Europe will reach a different, a new stage, where a supplementary to the diplomas will be added to the degrees of the students according to the Bologna Process.* And our exclusion from that process would cause lack of diploma supplementaries. That might cause some problems. Nowadays, we are trying to enter into the Bologna Process, and avoid any detrimental developments.

 

invisible in TRCN, for example. Some say that your people are Muslim only when it comes it relations with “The Republic of Cyprus.” Is this correct? Can moderate Islam by used as a marketing strategy for TRNC. Meaning, can the world be encouraged to support this country, because it provides a moderate Islam-a real Islam-that differs from the radical kind we see in al-Qaeda, for example?

First of all, Turkish Cypriots practice a moderate form of Islam. But it is not true that Turkish Cypriots are Muslims only when it comes to relations with Greek Cypriots. Modern or moderate Islam might be the correct description of the religion in TRNC. This definitely can be presented, and if possible, marketed as an example of moderate Islam and be drawn upon to get a similar behavior in other Islamic countries. Turkish Cypriots are Muslims and at the same time, a modern, secular and Westernized community.

If the clock were to tick backwards, what would the people of TRNC done differently? Do they have any regrets?

Many. Although I do not want to concentrate on the mistakes of the past, I have to say that the wrong image about the Turkish Cypriot people was due to the isolation, but also due to the mistakes made by former governments. I definitely believe that if the Turkish Cypriot side had not made those mistakes, the Greek Cypriot side would not have been in the European Union, holding the representation of the whole island. I think this is sufficient to answer this question.

Syria is a close neighbor with TRNC. How can Syrian-TRNC relations be boosted? Trade. Commerce. Passport recognition. Political representation? Relations were good during the late 1970s and were cut in the early 1980s. They seem to be moving forward today. Why is that? How can they be advanced?

We are neighbors with Syria. We have the same religion. Syria is also a secular country, as is the TRNC. We had commercial relations in the past and these relations were not cut because of any animosity, but just because of the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Hence, there is a potential for reestablishing those relations between the two countries. In the former times, there were ferry lines between Famagusta and Latakia and commercial ties were much better. And since entering into the Syrian market means entering to the whole Middle Eastern market, these were very important for the Turkish Cypriot economy. Hence reviving the ferry connection between the two countries would boost

In former times, there were ferry lines between Famagusta and Latakia. They were very important for our economy.

trade and deliver a very strong support to the Turkish Cypriot economy. This would also be in conformity with the international community’s declared intention regarding the Turkish Cypriot economy. Both the European Union and the United Nations have declared their support for the improvement of the Turkish Cypriot economy. In addition, the Turkish Cypriot side should have a representation in Damascus to promote relations between the two countries, and economic, social and cultural ties of the two societies. Recognition of the TRNC passports would definitely help boost reciprocal visits and would amount to a step forward in lifting the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. The relations between the TRNC and Syria are moving for-ward today due to the betterment of Syria’s relations with Turkey. Our close ties with Turkey reflected to our relations with Syria and this is a very positive development.

Does TRNC expect much from the upcoming Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)? There is talk about “recommendations” by OIC to accept TRCN sovereignty. Is this possible?

The TRNC has an observer status in the OIC under the name of “Turkish Cypriot State” as envisaged in the Anan Plan. We are expecting the implementation of the decisions of the OIC, which were adopted in different meetings at different levels since the referenda in 2004. Through the implementation of these decisions our economic, cultural and political ties with the member states of OIC will improve. There is a real potential of commercial relations and we should utilize this fact. Again, this would have an important impact on the lifting of the isolations on the TRNC.

Please describe TRNC’s relationship with the rest of the Arab and Islamic World.

Our relations with the Arabic and Islamic world are at a much better level since the referenda, through our acceptance to the OIC as an observer “Turkish Cypriot State.” Improvement is ongoing at different levels in relations with member states. The observer status of the TRNC in the OIC is a very newly established status and will be a source of better relations.