An anonymous column at Greek Cypriot newspaper Politis has advised his government to improve relations with Türkiye.
Below is the translated version of the article,
The way the Republic of Cyprus and the average Greek Cypriot deal with Turkey sometimes goes beyond the bounds of naivety. There are many cases where some statements sound funny, especially when expressions such as Cyprus applying a “carrot and stick policy” towards Turkey are used.
Let us not be misunderstood. Clearly, the Republic of Cyprus is not a superpower, but it has every right to defend its rights and justice within the framework of reason and certainly within the framework of the European Union, of which it is a full member.
On the other hand, Turkey is a regional power that we should not confront with leonardism. Let’s not talk about military sizes. It is pointless. At the diplomatic level, things regarding Turkey in recent months are also very interesting and deserve monitoring.
* Turkey and Israel are considered the two most important players in the Middle East right now, especially after the overthrow of Assad in Syria. As we speak, talks are underway between the two countries in Baku, Azerbaijan, to define zones of influence in Syria.
* The Kurdish revolutionary party PKK, which fought for an independent Kurdish state, announced that it is ending its military action and that after consultation with Turkey it is entering a process of political action. Let us not forget how some Cypriot analysts in recent years have attempted to convince us that Turkey is being led to disintegration because of Kurds.
* A few days ago it was announced that negotiations are starting in Istanbul to resolve the Ukrainian issue. Regardless of the outcome, this demonstrates that both Russia and Ukraine consider Turkey a friendly country. For this purpose, Vladimir Putin personally contacted Tayyip Erdogan to ask for his consent to start talks in his country. Donald Trump may also visit Istanbul, as he himself stated.
Having said that, everyone can and should understand that Cyprus does not have many options at its disposal to deal with Turkey. We need realism and a strategy that leads to win-win solutions with the neighboring country. Those who believe that we can find ourselves in a head-on confrontation with Ankara probably do not have an adequate understanding of reality.
Source: https://www.politis.com.cy/apopseis/stiles/936462/pos-antimetopizetai-i-tourkia
