Did you hear? Signs of change in Ankara have appeared
Source: in-cyprus.com
“Signs of a shift in Ankara’s line on Cyprus,” the headline announced, and I rushed to see these signs at last, to catch my breath.
It was a dispatch-cum-analysis published on the websites Politis and edotourkia.gr. It spoke of “a particularly strange and ambiguous statement” made by AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik on Cyprus, “raising questions about whether Ankara is changing something in its line following the election of Tufan Erhürman.”
The AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AK PARTİ) is Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey, and if its spokesman is giving signs of a shift away from the two-state line, that’s hugely significant. And it deserves the analysis that brings us this message of change and hope. Even if it’s brought to us by Anna Andreou, who—when Erhürman went to Turkey—sent us a dispatch to inform us that he’s even better than Akıncı because he took care not to clash with Erdoğan the way Akıncı did, presumably to bring him round. Erdoğan, no less!
So now I rushed to find out what these seers have spotted, sending us signs of change so the natives can learn what’s happening. “It’s the first time in many years,” she wrote, “that a Turkish government official has reintroduced with such clarity the ‘structure of two communities’ as the basis for a solution—phrasing that references the framework of a bizonal bicommunal federation.”
References the BBF, does it! Blimey, so they’ve suddenly dropped the two-state line and returned to BBF? Even though Erdoğan and Fidan repeat the two-state mantra at every opportunity? Even though Erhürman himself hasn’t bothered to mention it since taking the helm of the occupation regime?
So what the hell did Ömer Çelik actually say that’s being flogged to Greek Cypriots with such ideological gymnastics? Here’s his statement: “As long as the structure of two communities and two sovereign entities is not accepted, no solution will work. The most correct approach is the two-state solution.”
And they’re being serious about it! Just like in 2015, when that front-page headline appeared with Erdoğan’s photo waving at us, now etched in history: “AKP sweeps to victory, Cyprus hopes.” Same old nonsense, only worse, ten years on. Because this bloke, Çelik, mentioned “structure of two communities and two sovereign entities” (whilst not forgetting to mention either two sovereign entities or a two-state solution), they sit there drawing conclusions to pollute public opinion with their drivel.
They didn’t notice, for instance, that in the same statement he also says that “the Turkish Cypriots will never be left alone. The cause of the Turkish Cypriots is our national cause” and that “Turkish troops are the guarantee of peace and security for the Turkish Cypriots.” Turkish troops sitting on our necks, in other words, but we’re supposed to listen to this rubbish and celebrate because he mentioned “structure of two communities,” sandwiched between “two sovereign entities” and “two-state solution.”
It’s, apparently, “an ambiguity that carries particular weight.” Well, what can you say to them? Erhürman sweeps to victory, Cyprus hopes. But none of these enthusiasts of deep political thought and Turkish updates, nor those who produced analyses to tell us that the “rejectionist front” wants to undermine Erhürman (Mrs Erato, are you listening?), react, comment, or advise when they hear Erhürman declare that he won’t even discuss abolishing the guarantees. Because they have, he says, a unanimous “parliament” decision on the guarantees. And President Christodoulidis’s statement about abolishing the guarantees “is null and void” and “was a harsh statement”… And since it’s harsh to demand abolition of the guarantees, let’s celebrate because Çelik mentioned a structure of two communities.
The original article: belongs to in-cyprus.com .
