Davutoğlu challenges EU on Cyprus trade restrictions

Davutoğlu's remarks came in response to a question by a Greek Cypriot deputy after the minister delivered a speech at a meeting of the political committee of the Europe-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) held in İstanbul.

    Referring to remarks within his speech that he didn't want “any borders,” the Greek Cypriot deputy asked why, then, Turkey didn't open its ports to EU-member Greek Cyprus, Anatolia agency reported. Recalling that Ankara had lent its full support to an UN reunification plan back in 2004, Davutoğlu went on to say, “If the Greek Cypriots had also said ‘yes,' to this peace [plan], then today there would be neither a divided border nor a closed port.”

While noting that Turkish Cypriots are isolated in every sphere and are unable to even play an international football match while Greek Cypriots comfortably enjoy international recognition and EU membership, Davutoğlu indicated that reducing the issue to the opening of Turkey’s ports to Greek Cypriots would be unfair under these circumstances.

“Here, I would like to see a Turkish Cypriot around this table, too, as a Mediterranean [representative]. I would like him to sit next to you as a deputy of one united Cyprus in peace. Why didn’t this happen? Is the reason for this not happening the Turkish Cypriots who said ‘yes’ to the Annan plan, or those who said ‘no’?”

“We want all borders in Cyprus to be eliminated. We are also ready to open all Turkish ports to the Greek Cypriots. In turn, there is only one thing that we want,” Davutoğlu said, adding that the world should allow Turkish Cypriots to trade through its seaports of Girne (Kyrenia) and Magusa (Famagusta) as well as Ercan Airport in Lefkoşa.

Turkey, which does not recognize the Greek Cypriot administration, has constantly called on the EU to fulfill its commitment to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots as a condition for opening its ports and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus. The EU unveiled a plan to ease the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots by establishing direct trade with the KKTC after they voted for the UN plan -- led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan -- to reunite the island, but it was never implemented because of opposition from several members including Greek Cyprus, which joined the EU a few days after the Greek Cypriots rejected the same UN plan in April 2004 in a simultaneous referendum.

“The world will open three ports for Turkish Cypriots. We will open all ports of Turkey to Greek Cypriots. … We are ready to do this, if the European Union is ready, if the international community is ready and if Greek Cypriots are ready.”

‘Turkey has a right to have a say on Iran issue’

Earlier in the day, Davutoğlu, delivering a speech at the “Forum-İstanbul 2023” conference, touched upon the ongoing debate over a joint declaration signed by Iran, Brazil and Turkey in Tehran on Monday.

With the declaration, Iran agreed to ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey. Nevertheless, some major powers, particularly Washington, asserted that the deal failed to address all the concerns about Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.

Calling for a participatory political rearrangement within the international system, Davutoğlu said: “As Turkey, we have this [goal] before us: the question of how the participatory relationship between regional problems and global system will be. This question will remain on the agenda as we approach 2023.”

As a matter of fact, this question is behind debates concerning Iran as well, he said.

“We say that if a problem about Iran influences us, then we have a right to have a say in this problem. As long as we must tolerate its result, then we have the right to participate in the flow of the process as well,” Davutoğlu said, adding that Turkey would not accept being considered “an ordinary executor” of a decision made by being excluded from the decision-making process.

Brazil and Turkey, both non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, brokered a surprise deal on Monday in which Iran agreed to send its high-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for fuel rods for a medical research reactor. Turkey, Brazil and Iran have urged a halt to talk of further sanctions because of the deal, but critics in the West insist the deal was only a tactic to avert or delay sanctions.

Despite the deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil, the US proposed a draft sanctions resolution, agreed by all five permanent UN Security Council members after months of negotiation, to the UN Security Council on Tuesday.