Annexation a possibility

Turkey’s European Affairs Minister, Egemen Bagis, said that the main goal of Turkey and the TRNC was a solution to the Cyprus issue, but that, if a solution is not reached, then all alternatives are open to assessment, Ankara Anatolia news agency reports.

“Turkey and the TRNC wanted the comprehensive solution talks under the UN to be completed successfully. TRNC without Turkey and Turkey without TRNC are out of question”, he said, adding that Turkey would not abandon the TRNC.

Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News reports that asked during a press conference if the TRNC could be annexed to Turkey, Bagis replied: “It might be an alternative. We are not drawing up a new policy on Cyprus. Our main goal is to reach a solution as soon as possible. But if we can’t come to a solution, nobody should expect Turkey will leave the Turkish Cypriots alone.”

Cyprus Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Bagis’ comments were “cynical, arrogant and provocative”.

“They are also insulting for the Turkish Cypriot community,” he added.

He said the statements reveal that Turkey is promoting the goal of partition and creating two separate states in Cyprus and that Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu had made similar comments recently.

Stefanou argued partition and annexation go against UN resolutions and called on the international community to put pressure on Turkey to respect UN resolutions on Cyprus.

“For the Greek Cypriot side, there is only one option on the negotiating table for a solution of the Cyprus problem, that of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality as defined in the relevant UN resolutions,” he said.

The Cyprus Mail reports that Bagis told Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibris at the weekend that Turkey would support any agreement reached by the two sides, but said that was only one of several possible outcomes.

"Reunification under a deal that (the two) leaders could reach, creation of two independent states after an agreement between the two leaders if they are unable to reach a deal for reunification, or annexation of the TRNC to Turkey," Bagis said, “are all the options on the table."

Many Turkish Cypriots oppose the notion of annexation. Turkey's NTV news channel quoted Ozkan Yorganciogly, leader of the main opposition Republican Turks Party (CTP), as saying the idea was unacceptable.