Republic of Cyprus condemns Turkish Cypriot foreign minister’s meeting with the Foreign Office as Greek Cypriots “toughen up” their rhetoric against the north
Europe minister David Lidington and Turkish Cypriot foreign minister Özdil Nami, whose meeting was strongly condemned by the Republic of Cyprus
By Michael Daventry
The conflict over divided Cyprus spread to London this week when Britain was denounced for discussing the island’s peace process with a Turkish Cypriot politician.
Özdil Nami, the Turkish Cypriot foreign minister, met the UK’s Europe minister David Lidington in London on Monday for what British officials called a “private meeting”.
But the Greek Cypriot government swiftly condemned the move, saying it had made “intense and repeated representations” to prevent it from taking place.
A Turkish Cypriot peer retorted this was “just the usual response from the Greek Cypriots” and said it was “perfectly reasonable” for a meeting to take place.
The exchange highlights the depth of divisions that still mark the Cyprus conflict, forty years after the island was divided in 1974 when Turkish forces invaded the north in response to a Greek-backed coup.
The Greek-led Republic of Cyprus is recognised internationally as the island’s sole representative government, while only Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a separate state.
GREEK CYPRIOT RHETORIC ‘TOUGHENED UP’
The strong condemnation is part of a “toughening up” in Republic of Cyprus rhetoric against the north in recent months, the London of School of Economics’ James Ker-Lindsay told Londra Gazete, even though they are very confident the TRNC will never be recognised.
It comes despite peace talks starting again between the two sides in February after a break of several years.
Özdil Nami met the Turkish Cypriot UK representative Oya Tuncalı on Friday, the first day of his visit to London
Mr Nami, who became Turkish Cypriot foreign minister after his party won last summer’s parliamentary election, arrived in London on Friday for a four-day working visit last weekend. He spent the weekend meeting local community leaders and NGO representatives.
PRIVATE MEETING
But the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was keen to describe his meeting with Mr Lidington as a “private meeting” in the House of Commons rather than a ministerial visit.
An FCO spokesperson told Londra Gazete: “It is important that the UK, as a friend of Cyprus and a strong supporter of the settlement process, maintains high-level contacts with both communities.
“That allows us to encourage the two parties to intensify their efforts for the reunification of Cyprus.
“Mr Nami, who was in London on his own initiative, asked to see Mr Lidington. Mr Lidington was pleased to have a private meeting with Mr Nami, who is a leading member of the Turkish Cypriot community and who has played a constructive role in the settlement process.”
SERVES BRITISH INTERESTS AS WELL
The statement continued: “Our position has not changed: we do not recognise the so-called ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’. As such, we do not recognise the title of ‘minister’ other than for members of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.”
Also meeting Mr Nami was Simon Hughes, the Justice and Civil Liberties Minister
But in a strongly-worded statement, the Republic of Cyprus foreign ministry condemned the meeting between Mr Lidington and the “so-called foreign minister of the Turkish Cypriot puppet regime”.
It said: “[British statements] that they do not recognise the pseudostate cannot be satisfying … The non-recognition of the pseudostate by London serves British interests as well.”
‘JUST THE USUAL RESPONSE’
Baroness Hussein-Ece, the Turkish Cypriot member of the House of Lords who also meet Mr Nami on Monday, said “this is just the usual response from the Greek Cypriots.”
Özdil Nami (centre) met Lord Sharkey, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Cyprus, and Vice-Chair Baroness Hussein-Ece on Monday
She continued: “They don’t want him to meet anyone.
“At a time like this when [United Nations-sponsored] talks are going ahead it doesn’t make sense to say you can’t have a meeting.
“It’s perfectly reasonable for a guarantor country to meet representatives of both communities from time to time. It doesn’t imply [diplomatic] recognition.”