Bagis: Cyprus is already integrated to Turkey”; His wishful thinking
Under the above title, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (07.03.12) reports that Egemen Bagis, Turkish EU Minister and Chief Negotiator, has alleged that Cyprus is already integrated to Turkey with pipelines carrying water and electricity, but if no solution to the Cyprus problem is reached and the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of the island, wants to be integrated with Turkey, Ankara will think about it.
During a visit to Brussels where he holds contacts with the EU Commission, Bagis was asked yesterday to comment on the debates as regards the occupied area of Cyprus’ becoming Turkey’s 82nd province.
Bagis replied the following: “Cyprus is already integrated to Turkey with electricity and water pipelines. We want Europe to integrate it to itself a little bit. I want [the EU] to direct its funds towards the TRNC a little bit. Even if it promised to lift the isolations in 2004, it did absolutely nothing. Since 2004 not even one EU airplane landed in the TRNC. The children born after the peace operation [Translator’s note: the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 after which Turkey continues to illegally occupy nearly 40% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus] are now 38 years old”.
When he was reminded of his statement to a Turkish Cypriot journalist regarding the option of annexing the occupied area of Cyprus to Turkey, Bagis argued: “I have not said that Cyprus should become the 82nd province. The negotiations are going on. We are in favour of the solution and we are saying solution, solution, solution. However, if the negotiations end with disagreement and the ‘let us separate conclusion’ is reached, and the TRNC wants to be integrated to Turkey, then this will be assessed. No one could say to Turkey to leave the TRNC alone and Turkey cannot exist without the TRNC”.
Asked to comment on the course of the relations between Turkey and the European Union after the Republic of Cyprus’ overtaking the EU term presidency on 1 July, Bagis said: “I cannot treat as a state a country which I do not recognize because some call it president. The relations between EU and Turkey will continue. The relations will continue with the member states as well”.
Noting that 2013 will be a very important year for Turkey’s relations with the EU, Bagis added: “The EU needs Turkey as much as Turkey needs the EU. I hope that these deadlocks will be overcome”.