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Cyprus’ efforts to secure strong condemnation from the European Union over Turkey's actions to upgrade the status of the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) have faced significant challenges. While the EU’s recent Conclusions on Turkey included references to long-standing UN Security Council resolutions condemning the TRNC, Cyprus had sought a more direct and updated denunciation of Ankara's intensified moves toward recognizing the entity’s "sovereign equality."
Nicosia’s Unfulfilled Request
The EU’s final Conclusions reiterated the bloc’s support for a Cyprus solution under the UN framework but stopped short of linking Turkey’s EU ambitions to concrete progress in Cyprus negotiations.
According to Pavlos Xanthoulis in this Sunday's Kathimerini, the Cypriot government pushed for explicit language in the EU Conclusions addressing Turkey's recent actions to upgrade the TRNC. This request came against the backdrop of Turkey's increased lobbying for international recognition of the entity. Despite Nicosia’s efforts, including direct appeals to the EU’s COREPER Permanent Representatives Committee, the bloc opted for a more cautious approach, referencing decades-old UNSC resolutions from 1983 and 1984, which do not reflect recent developments.
Cyprus’ allies within the EU largely avoided aligning with its request. Nicosia’s attempt to establish a clear link between Turkey's EU relations and the resolution of the Cyprus issue was rejected by key member states like Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Italy, who deemed the proposals disruptive to the text’s balance.
Turkey’s Strategic Push
As Nicosia lobbied the EU, Turkey amplified its own efforts to promote the TRNC's sovereignty. The Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a detailed letter to the European Parliament, asserting that a resolution to the Cyprus problem could only be achieved through recognition of the TRNC’s "sovereign equality" and "equal international status." Ankara’s argument portrays Greek Cypriots as unwilling to share power or resources, citing historical failures in peace talks, including the rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004 and the breakdown of negotiations in Crans-Montana in 2017.
The letter also dismissed references to "occupation," arguing that Turkish troops remain in Cyprus under international treaties from 1960. This stance aligns with Ankara’s broader Euro-Turkish strategy, which includes leveraging its geopolitical importance to the EU on issues such as migration and Syria.
EU’s Mixed Signals
Complicating matters further, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently visited Turkey, where she highlighted Ankara’s strategic importance to the EU, especially in managing migration. During her visit, von der Leyen proposed granting an additional €1 billion to Turkey for hosting Syrian refugees and announced plans to upgrade the EU-Turkey Customs Union—moves seen as conciliatory gestures toward Ankara.
While von der Leyen briefly addressed the need to resume UN-led talks on the Cyprus issue, her comments lacked specific commitments to a resolution framework or tying progress in EU-Turkey relations to a settlement of the Cyprus problem. For Nicosia, this approach falls far short of the substantial interconnection it sought between the Cyprus issue and Euro-Turkish dossiers.
Muted Conclusions
The EU’s final Conclusions, adopted last Tuesday, reiterated the bloc’s support for a Cyprus solution under the UN framework but stopped short of linking Turkey’s EU ambitions to concrete progress in Cyprus negotiations. Instead, the text replicated language from earlier agreements, offering little new for Cyprus’ cause.
Implications for Nicosia
Cyprus’ efforts to gain stronger EU backing on the TRNC issue highlight its ongoing struggle to align member states’ interests with its national priorities. With Turkey pressing forward on multiple fronts and receiving mixed signals from the EU, Nicosia faces an uphill battle in its quest to counter Ankara’s narrative and protect its sovereignty.
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