Occupied north lashes out at the EU: “protector of the status quo”, attacks Fitto and the Republic of Cyprus

The so-called “foreign ministry” of the breakaway regime in the occupied north of Cyprus attacked the European Union on Thursday, October 8, accusing it of preserving an “unjust status quo” in Cyprus and of yielding to the vetoes of the Greek Cypriot side.

The statement replied to a letter from the European Commission that referred to the 2004 decisions of the European Council on ending the “isolation” of the Turkish Cypriots and to efforts at “bridge-building” and “strengthening dialogue”. The occupied north called these references “nothing more than an attempt to create a false impression” and EU policy “biased and insincere”.

Fitto in the crosshairs

“The EU, which supports the Greek Cypriot leadership that prevents even our young people and athletes from coming into contact with the world, is the biggest protector of the status quo on the island,” the statement says. It also targets Executive Vice-President of the Commission and EU special representative for Cyprus Raffaele Fitto, writing that the EU and its “so-called representative”, who ignore the “will” and “sovereign equality” of the Turkish Cypriots, cannot be taken seriously.

The context

The attack comes as “parliamentary elections” in the occupied north have been set for December and as Nicosia speaks of the need for tangible steps on the Cyprus problem. The rhetoric of “sovereign equality” is Ankara’s position for a two-state solution, which is rejected by the EU and by UN Security Council resolutions. At the same time, Ankara is also reacting to the defensive build-up of Cyprus, prompted by Israeli armaments.

“Without the lifting of the embargoes, no value”

The statement claims that the Turkish Cypriots have lived for years under “inhumane isolation” and embargoes, with restrictions on education, sport, culture and the economy. It warns that the EU’s declarations of “goodwill” will have no value unless the “embargoes” are fully lifted and the “sovereign equality” and “equal international status” of the occupied north are recognised, and says the “struggle” will continue “with the strong support of Turkey”.

TRT World accompanied the news with the Turkish version of the story, presenting the 1974 invasion as an “intervention by a guarantor power” and writing that the Greek Cypriots “blocked on their own” the UN plan in 2004. The Republic of Cyprus became an EU member in 2004 and the application of the EU acquis is suspended in the occupied areas, while the last major negotiation, at Crans-Montana in 2017, collapsed, with Greek and Greek Cypriot accounts placing the responsibility on Turkey.