Cyprus beschuldigt Turkije van dubbele moraal in Palestijns conflict (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias i has in an interview with EUobserver accused Turkey of double standards in its support of the Palestinian cause.
Speaking in the context of Turkey's strong reaction to Israel's raid on the pro-Gaza flotilla last month, the Cypriot head of state said Ankara should have the same attitude to its own "occupation" of Cyprus as it does to Israel's "occupation" of Palestinian territories.
"This is not an honest policy. If they really mean what they say about the Arab people and are against the occupation of Arab lands, they must put an end to the occupation of a significant part of Cyprus," Mr Christofias said following an EU leaders' meeting in Brussels last week.
"I am glad that Turkey follows ...a policy of solidarity with the Palestinian and Arab people. I hope this is a real and honest policy that has nothing to do with public relations. We are an old friend of the Arab people, because we follow a policy of principles."
Turkey recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv and cancelled military drills with Israel after Israeli commandos on 31 May shot dead nine Turkish citizens on Gaza-bound boats which had set off from Cyprus.
The events brought Ankara and Nicosia closer together in terms of their Middle East policy but appear to have done nothing to soothe historic bilateral problems between the two neighbours.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 following a pro-Greek coup. It continues to keep its troops in the northern half of the Mediterranean island, which in 1983 declared independence as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The situation is a fly in the ointment for both EU enlargement and Nato, with the two countries blocking and counter-blocking each other in the two institutions.
Prospects of ending Cyprus' frozen conflict suffered in April when the TRNC elected veteran nationalist Dervis Eroglu as president.
Mr Christofias told this wesbite that initial talks with Mr Eroglu have concentrated on property disputes rather than the bigger question of re-unification. "For the time being, it's just a resumption [of normal bilateral contacts] ...we have to be patient," he said.
The Cypriot president is keen for the TRNC to return property to Greek Cypriots who fled their homes after the Turkish invasion.
He recently offered to give ethnic Turkish "settlers" full Cypriot citizenship in return. But the idea has been rejected by the Turkish side.
"I accepted the stationing of 50,000 Turkish settlers to become citizens of the United republic of Cyprus, for humanitarian reasons. They are mixed couples, Greek Cypriots who married Turkish Cypriot women and vice versa. They have children together. I think they have the right to feel Cypriot and have citizenship," Mr Christofias said.
"It's very strange to hear from the lips of the Turkish President, Prime Minister and foreign minister that they want a resolution of the [Cyprus] conflict by the end of the year. We know they don't mean it, unfortunately. If they did, they would move from their intransigent position and promote a solution."