First Step Towards TRNC Recognition

For perhaps the first time ever, a roadmap for the "Recognition of the TRNC" has been boldly put forward, and let us wholeheartedly wish the Turkish nation well. The first step of this roadmap, I think it is well understood, is the importance of a "preemptive initiative", a wise planning guide centered in Ankara and a magnificent opening that leaves no room for doubt. Believe me, it has put an end to the confusion. The issue of Azerbaijan's failure to recognize the TRNC, a symbol of two states and one nation. Let's leave aside Putin's anger due to his mood during the Ukraine War, because at least 15 countries would recognize the "Republic of Artsakh", the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto formation in the South Caucasus, the cause of all kinds of misfortunes, which has not been entered so far with his support. I think it is well understood why Azerbaijan does not recognize the TRNC.

By the way, let's take a look at the sectarian situation of the Turkic peoples, the majority of whom are Muslims, in the 'Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries', or 'Turkic Council' or 'TURKISH GENESIS' as it is officially called in Turkish, which was established in Nakhchivan in 2009. Let's start with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Turkey is predominantly Hanafi, while Azerbaijan is Jafari/Shia. However, in many mosques, such as the Umayyad mosque in Damascus, the Jafari sect has almost been recognized as the fifth sect. However, since the unity of lineage and language is more important than sectarian identity, the understanding of "one nation, two states" prevails between the two countries. In Tajikistan, where 30% of the population is Uzbek Hanafi Turks, the core state is Persian in terms of the language spoken, while the Tajiks are Hanafi and the Iranians are 'Jaafari / Shiite'. By the way, let us not forget that there is a sharp sectarian divide between Iran and Tajikistan. The vast majority of the peoples of the Turkic states know that they are descended from the same root and have a common ancestor. All of them, including Turkey, are the continuation of the Gök Turk state. (1) 

Let us open a parenthesis for Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan cannot be a member of any international organization because it has requested and received neutrality status at the United Nations. This is also the reason why it cannot be a member of the Turkic Council. However, Turkmenistan participates in non-political cultural events among Turkic states. 

President Erdoğan's call for the recognition of the TRNC and the lifting of embargoes from the podium of the 77th UN General Assembly was a truly historic step. By the way, let us mention that the TRNC has a consulate in the Turkish House in New York and that this historic step was taken in great solidarity and coordination between the TRNC and Turkey.  Indeed, this call has been a proud call of a festive nature for the Turkish Cypriot people, and has sprinkled water to the hearts beating for Cyprus after a long time. But is this call a call that remains in the air as it is always said? Undoubtedly not. In other words, the Turks come to New York in the third week of September, utter this phrase, and when they get on the plane, even they forget their own call, and the joke has ended in a meaningful way. The reason is clear. Now let's ask again, is there anything concrete that Turkey presented at the 2022 UN General Assembly speeches? Yes, a wise step was taken, which caused especially the GASC-Greece to be stunned. 

The first concrete initiative following this call was made with great courage and determination by the TRNC itself. The TRNC not only put a stop to the United Nations Forces in Cyprus UNFICYP (United Nations Forces in Cyprus UNFICYP), which was working with the permission of the SCGA, but also gave a one-month deadline for an agreement with the TRNC. This is a show of determination. TRNC Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu stated that the UN Peacekeeping Force, which has two camps and a contact point in the TRNC in addition to the buffer zone on the Turkish-Greek border line, was working with the permission of the Greeks and said, "Their stay is over, either they sign a military agreement with the TRNC or they withdraw from the TRNC." (2) 

This opening was such that it heralded an end to the impression that the SCGA was tacitly recognized by the UN with great determination. This means that if the UN Peacekeeping Force does not reach an agreement with the TRNC, it will have to withdraw from its two camps on the TRNC side. The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus currently controls a 346 square kilometer buffer zone, the so-called 'Green Line', along the 180 kilometer border between the TRNC and the Greek Cypriot administration. The Peacekeeping Force consists of 1009 soldiers and civil servants from 19 countries. The Peacekeeping Force has two camps in the TRNC, one in the city of Gazimagosa and the other in Lefke, and a contact point near Ledra Palace in the capital Nicosia.  The UN Peacekeeping Force is popularly referred to as the "UN Vacation Force" since there were no significant incidents in Cyprus after the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation. Cyprus is one of the preferred duty stations for UN military and civilian bureaucrats. (3) 

As they say in our country, it is one of the leading places of retired life with full salary. The island of Cyprus is one of the rare places where one can take an afternoon siesta with all the derivatives of sea, sand and sun. Now, I think it is better understood that at the Prague Summit of the European Political Community, both the Greek Cypriot Cypriot leader Anastasiades and the Greek Prime Minister Mitçotakis demanded a meeting with President Erdoğan. A known perspective of this geography, the fact that you cannot even appear in front of the society without taking a card in your hand has once again been seen and understood. 

Now let's examine the historical background of the Peace Force in Cyprus and the value of the first step towards the recognition of the TRNC. Contrary to popular belief, the UN Peacekeeping Force did not arrive on the island after the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, but after the attacks launched by Greek Cypriot terrorists under the leadership of EOKA and Lieutenant Colonel Grivas on December 21, 1963 to annex the island to Greece and to realize ENOSIS within the framework of the Megali Idea and to completely eliminate the Turkish Cypriots living on the island. 

As the incidents intensified after the Bloody Christmas, it was decided by the United Nations to establish a Peace Force and send it to Cyprus as of March 1964. After the Canadian contingent arrived on March 14, 1964, the second contingent that arrived on March 26 was the Finnish contingent. On March 27, 1964, General Gyani, as the commander of UNFICYP, announced that they were fully ready for duty on the island. UNFICYP, which is in charge of controlling 90 kilometers of the 180-kilometer firing line, the narrowest of which is 3 meters and the widest of which is 7 kilometers, has also controlled and still controls the Varosha area, which was closed to settlement until recently. 

The Peace Force has shown favor and privilege to the GCASC in almost all of its activities on the island of Cyprus. On the other hand, especially after the Cyprus Peace Operation, the GCASC has determined a policy of aiding and abetting the militants of the separatist terrorist organization within the scope of the maxim "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". It should not be forgotten that Athens also hosted the Kurdish Government in Exile during the Turkish National Struggle. Athens has harbored and continues to harbor separatist organizations that continue to this day. The GCASC, which claims that the TRNC has public order and security problems and confuses people, has also supported the sympathizers of terrorist organizations and helped them to have the opportunity to carry out actions easily after they fled from Turkey to the island, and still does. By the way, let us say that the UK's Agrotur and Dikelya Sovereign Base Zones are free from any threat and must be protected. 

This military force, whose mandate is extended every six months by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is still the longest-running operation conducted by the UN. Among the countries providing military support to UNFICYP are Canada, Austria, Hungary, Hungary, New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Slovakia, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Slovakia, Slovakia, Argentina, the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. In addition to this military force, an international police force has been working on the island under UNFICYP since March 1964. In this police force, police officers from different countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden are on duty (4) 

In June 1964, the force had a staff of 6,238, in December 1987 it had a staff of 2,122, in the 2000s it had a staff of 1,197 (5) and today the UN Peacekeeping Force has been reduced to a staff of 1009. 

On the other hand, according to paragraph (d) of Article 8 of the Annan Plan, which was not accepted by the Greek Cypriots, it was also agreed to deploy a peacekeeping force in Cyprus to oversee the implementation of the plan on the island. (6) 

In exchange for what? With the intention and purpose of ending the presence of the Republic of Turkey on the island according to the Treaty of Guarantee. For this reason, the Annan Plan has been embroidered like a fine embroidery. If this plan had been approved by the Greeks, it was planned to render the Treaty of Guarantee completely inoperative with a resolution to be passed by the UN Security Council, and UNFICYP would have ceased to be a peacekeeping force on the island and almost become an occupying force. Fortunately, as a twist of fate, the Annan Plan was not put into effect after the negative views of the Greeks. If this plan had been put into effect, UNFICYP, in addition to the Turkish military and police, would have been rendered unable to operate on the island and all these military activities would have been left to the mercy and consent of Greece and the Greek Cypriot side. On the other hand, if a hostile and negative atmosphere was seen in the attitudes and behaviors of the so-called peacekeeping force to be newly established against Turkish Cypriots, this situation could be corrected with the approval of Greece and Greek Cypriots. In Cyprus, David Hannay, Thomas Weston, De Soto, Alekos Markidis and Giorgos Vasiliu were the influential penmen in the preparation of such documents for the benefit of the Greek Cypriots. For some reason, there is not a single Turkish Cypriot among them in the texts planning the future of the Turkish Cypriots on the island. The texts that would be announced to have been prepared by them within the framework of the Annan Plan would be submitted to the Security Council and irrevocably transformed into international law. (7) 

Accordingly, the peacekeeping force to be established in Cyprus would continue to stay in Cyprus unless the federal government, with the approval of the constituent states, decided otherwise. Thus, a military force to which the Greek Cypriot side would never say "No" would be deployed on the island. According to the plan, the peacekeeping force would have the right to move and operate freely throughout the island, to patrol, deploy, set up roadblocks, roadblocks, roadblocks, investigations, due diligence and initiatives. The force would also oversee the implementation of the Facility Agreement, the enforcement of the rules governing the state police, and the equal and reasonable treatment of the citizens of the constituent states by the other side. Thus, instead of UNFICYP, which is currently operating in the territory of the TRNC with the permission granted by the Turkish military authorities, a new peacekeeping force is being created that will operate anywhere on the island and without permission, will question, but will not be questioned, and will be under the sole authority of Greece and Greek Cypriots in terms of authority and approval. This is what it means to go off the rails. With this agreement, which would have become obligatory within the framework of the approved Annan Plan, Turkish Cypriots would have been forced to cooperate with the so-called peacekeeping force. 

The question that needs to be answered now is: What does the TRNC want from the UN Peacekeeping Force, or rather from the UN Secretary General? First of all, what the TRNC wants from the UN is a military status agreement, internationally known as SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement). The SOFA military status agreement defines the legal system, job descriptions, obligations and authorities of foreign soldiers who will serve in a country.  As is well known, the agreement is concluded between the host country and the troop-sending party. So, what does this general principle dictate? Considering only the present day, since the UN Peacekeeping Force is composed of 19 countries, it is considered that it will bring the TRNC and 19 countries face to face on the grounds of agreement, thus opening the way for indirect recognition. Would you look at the positive benefits of a small opening? 

After all this, I would like to say that the one-month deadline given by the TRNC UN Peacekeeping Force to get permission from them as a separate state is extremely meaningful. It is an important step towards "Recognition of the TRNC".  After this show of determination by the TRNC, it is thought that the UN Secretary General will be able to respond in less than a month. TRNC Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu stated that during his contacts in New York, President Ersin Tatar met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and that they presented the draft of the Statement of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to the UN, that the talks were positive and that they will take new steps towards the recognition of the TRNC. The TRNC clearly states that it is the TRNC, not the SCGA government, that will give its approval for the UN Task Force to operate in the territory of the TRNC. After the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, the Turkish Cypriot assurance has always been and will continue to be the Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces Command, Dear Readers.  

Footnotes

(1) Cemil Kılıç, "The issue is not as you know. Why Turkish states do not recognize Cyprus" Oda Tv, September 06, 2018; https://www.odatv4.com/analiz/turk-devletleri-kibrisi-neden-tanimiyor-06091813-145927/Erişim Date 09.10.2022/

(2) Ömer Bilge, KKTC'yi Ya Tanı Ya Çek Çek Çek Çek! UN Peace Force'dan Askeri Anlaşlaşma İstediler, Hürriyet Newspaper, October 05, 2022; Https://Www.Hurriyet.Com.Tr/Dunya/Kktcyi-Ya-Tani-Ya-Cekil-Bm-Baris-Gucunden-Askeri-Anlasma-İstediler-42148219/Access Date 09.10.2022/

(3) Internet News, "TRNC'den United Nations rest! Either recognize us or leave our lands immediately" 05.10.2022; https://www.internethaber.com/kktcden-birlesmis-milletlere-rest-ya-bizi-tani-ya-da-hemen-topraklarimizi-terk-et-2273127h.htm/Erişim Date 09.10.2022/ 

(4) Ulvi Keser, Military Activities on the Island in the Context of the Strategic Importance of Cyprus and the Military Power of the Related Parties, pp. 139-140; https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/84578/Erişim Date 09.10.2022/ 

(5) Ahmet An, Perde Arkası Kıbrıs Sorununun Perde Arkası, Gelenek Yay., İstanbul, July 2000, p. 23.

(6) UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan (Annan Plan), 31 March 2004, Article 8 Demilitarization Clause (d) "A United Nations Peacekeeping Force shall be present to monitor the implementation of this Agreement, which Force shall use its best efforts to promote compliance with the Agreement and contribute to the maintenance of a secure environment, and shall remain on the Island unless the Federal Government, with the consent of both Constituent States, decides otherwise."

(7) Fuat Veziroğlu, Annan Plan and the Lying Machines, Akdeniz Haber Ajansı Yay., Nicosia, October 2003, p.132.