Aydın Hasan - Türkiye joined the Customs Union (CU) in 1996, considering it as a temporary stage in the process of full membership to the European Union (EU). However, the prolongation of the full membership process and the change in the structure of global trade have caused a series of problems for Türkiye with the current structure of the CU. In this process, the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) was accepted for EU membership in 2004. Ankara has also been asking for the CU agreement to be updated for about 15 years. Within the framework of the process that started in 2015, the European Commission requested authorization from the EU Council to start negotiations in December 2016. However, the Council did not take any action.
met at COP31
According to the news in the Greek press; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; In his meetings with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) leader Nikos Hristodulidis in Antalya, where he was for the COP31 Summit, he stated that the EU is ready to start negotiations to update the CU in exchange for Turkey resuming the Cyprus negotiations.
EU Commission Vice President and Cyprus Special Representative Raffaele Fitto is expected to visit Ankara on 20 November and meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan. Bringing the Cyprus condition to the agenda before this meeting once again revealed the double standards applied by the EU against Turkey.
'The addressees are the Turkish Cypriots'
Diplomatic sources; He stated that the visit of EU Commission Vice President and Cyprus Special Representative Fitto was planned in advance and was not related to the negotiation process. Stating that Ankara has not received an offer yet, sources emphasized that in case such an offer comes, the addressees are the Turkish Cypriots and this issue should be discussed with them.
EXPERTS EVALUATED THE DEVELOPMENTS TO MİLLİYET
'Strategic myopia'
ANKASAM President Prof. Dr. Seyfettin Erol: The EU's tying the CU update process to the precondition for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations is an example of strategic myopia rather than a rational economic partnership. Updating the GB, which is a technical and commercial integration mechanism; in fact, it is most critical for the security and competitiveness of European supply chains.
hostage diplomacy
The EU's transformation of the maximalist demands of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus into its own institutional policy, eight years after the agreement entered into force in 1996, is a clear violation of the principle of pacta keeping. It is a historical fact that in the 2004 Annan Plan referendum, the parties that expressed their will for a solution were Ankara and the Turkish Cypriots, and those who sabotaged the process were the Greek Cypriot side. Therefore, Brussels' attempt to put the blame on Ankara today is to reduce a technical commercial file to a political hostage diplomacy tool.
The weak-handed side at the table is not Ankara, but Brussels itself. Today, the most fundamental existential problem of the global system, especially Europe, is security. Türkiye; With its unique geopolitical position, geostrategic depth and geoeconomic capacity, it is a key actor that is irreplaceable, indispensable and cannot be shared on a global scale. Therefore, if there is a will to put forward a precondition in this equation, that address is Ankara, not Brussels.
'The Cyprus condition is immoral'
Can Baydarol, Founding Member of the European Union and Global Studies Association: The EU made free trade agreements with many countries. Unfortunately, Türkiye does not have the chance to automatically participate in these. The most serious problems arose in the transportation sector. Because they said 'industrial goods will circulate freely'. However, the truck and driver who would carry the goods were not taken into account. Therefore, there have always been and continue to be problems with quota issues, transportation quotas and, even worse, driver visas. Therefore, updating the GB is also important in the service sector. However, the other side also says 'you also accept the mutual liberalization of public tenders' as a condition. Here too, our side has some reservations. So, after all, we are faced with an update issue that has been a snake story for 10 years. The update is very necessary. Increasing trust in Turkey again; For investments to come to Turkey...
'The EU is in need of three issues'
I think that tying the update in GB to the Cyprus condition is, in a word, immoral. The EU needs Turkey on three issues. 1) Arms industry cooperation. Oh, they say, there is a Russian threat. For this we need the Turkish army and war industry. 2) Energy security. 3) Supply chain security. I believe that we need to give them some reminders on these three issues.
