On 27-29 April the long anticipated UN-sponsored informal ‘five-party’ summit is set to commence in Geneva. The aim, according to the UN, is to forge a path towards kickstarting a new round of ‘talks’ to settle the Cyprus issue, ie the ongoing occupation by Turkey of the northern area of the Republic of Cyprus.
In a typical display of intransigence and belligerence, Turkey and its subordinate regime in the occupied territories of Cyprus have attempted to up the ante and further poison the political climate by once again promoting the maximalist notion of a ‘two-state’ settlement that would once and for all carve up the Republic of Cyprus into two states. Such an outcome would not only reward Turkey for its brutal invasions of 1974, it would legitimise its illegal occupation of 36 per cent of the territory and 57 percent of the coastline of the Republic of Cyprus. The government of the Republic of Cyprus, with good reason would refuse to consider such an outlandish demand.
But in calling for a ‘two-state’ settlement, President Erdogan of Turkey and his mouthpiece Ersin Tatar in the Turkish-occupied zone of the Republic of Cyprus are being disingenuous. Turkey does not seek to create two entirely independent states but a confederation in which Ankara is master of one ‘state’ in the north; has a say in the affairs of another ‘state’ in the south; and in addition exerts control over a central government. Via such a confederation (or indeed federation) Ankara’s occupation would not end, it would in effect be extended.
