The President of the Democratic Party, Nikolas Papadopoulos, expressed the view that Turkey is further away than ever from a solution to the Cyprus problem while speaking at the Cyprus Forum.
When asked whether, in light of recent developments, he believes a solution that would ensure a functioning state is feasible, Mr. Papadopoulos stated that “theoretically, a solution is practically feasible, but it depends on Turkey.”
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“Turkey today, unfortunately, is, in my view, as far from a solution to the Cyprus problem as it has ever been. This is the most aggressive Turkey we have ever seen, for many and various reasons, including reasons that concern Turkey itself.”
He added that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has led the country down a path of nationalist fundamentalism, seeking to transform Turkey into an Islamic state. At the same time, he seeks the support of far-right and nationalist elements, and this, he said, makes Turkey much more dangerous.
In outlining the picture of Turkey’s aggression, he noted that Turkey is currently waging three wars in three different countries, has the second-largest army in NATO, and is the country with the most military bases outside its own territory. He added that because Turkey perceives a potential alliance between Israel, Cyprus, and Greece, it has become even more aggressive toward both Greece and Cyprus.
“We see this every day along the Green Line. At Pyla, it has occupied 4 square kilometers of the buffer zone and refuses to withdraw despite the United Nations’ objections. We’ve seen what happened with the GSI and the obstruction of the electricity interconnection,” and therefore, he noted, “we need Europe’s support and cooperation with regional powers to be able to counter Turkey’s aggression.”
“Without the support of the European Union, without the support of these countries, the Cyprus problem will not be resolved,” he said, adding that “The Cyprus problem has not been resolved simply because Turkey wants to control all of Cyprus, either directly or indirectly, through the military or by any other means.”
He emphasized that if Ankara does not abandon these positions, there will be no solution.
Regarding the European acquis, he noted that “this means that all the European principles and values currently applied in Europe must be incorporated into a solution. We cannot accept a system of apartheid, such as the one Turkey wants to implement in Cyprus,” he said, warning that “if we have a veto that will dismantle and paralyze the state, you realize that we will once again find ourselves in trouble.”
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of more active European Union engagement, alliances with key regional players, the United States and Israel, support for and cooperation with Greece, and the strengthening of Cyprus’s geostrategic role in the region, “because only in this way will we be able to pressure and persuade Turkey to abandon the unacceptable positions that currently stand in the way of a solution to the Cyprus problem,” as he noted.
At the same time, he emphasized that the only thing that can protect Cyprus is the continued existence of the Republic of Cyprus, noting that “if the state is paralyzed, if the state that will emerge after a solution to the Cyprus problem is dissolved, we cannot turn into Palestinians and demand a state.” He went on to note that “we see how difficult life is for the Palestinians. I do not believe that Greek Cypriots should face the same fate, and the only thing that can protect us in such an eventuality is the continued existence of the Republic of Cyprus.”
