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Editorial
With dismal economic growth figures in the European Union, the last thing Europe needs is conflict on its hands, and that is what may happen if the war of words escalates over the Republic of Cyprus intentions to drill for natural gas in the exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean, to the annoyance of Turkey. In London the President of the Republic of Cyprus Dimitris Christofias said “We have decided to continue to work exercising our self-evident sovereign rights, including the exploitation of our natural resources, always on the basis of international law". The Cypriots will not be blackmailed, according to sources close to the Cypriot president; bolstered by the support of Israel and the European Union, President Christofias said "Turkey cannot blackmail and hold hostage an independent state, member of the EU and the UN."
Turkey now riding high in popularity in the Arab world with Prime Minister Recip Erdogan ranked as the most popular Islamic leader of any Muslim country will not cow tow to any threats issued by the wobbling communist led government of the Republic of Cyprus.
The threats by the Turks reported by Reuters, that if the Republic of Cyprus assumes the rotating presidency "If the peace negotiations there (Cyprus) are not conclusive, and the EU gives its rotating presidency to southern Cyprus, the real crisis will be between Turkey and the EU, will then freeze our relations with the EU. We have made this announcement, as a government we have made this decision. Our relations with the EU will come to a sudden halt."
Will the Turks actually have the balls to start a war with the entire European Union because it feels its national interest is at stake, if Cyprus drills for natural gas? Recently Turkey has launched attacks on the Kurds in northern Iraq, and has made threats to Israel. There is no limit to the arrogance the Turks have showed in the past, and will it seems continue in the face of an absence of leadership by the major powers in the European Union.
The Republic of Cyprus links with the Hellenic Republic of Greece and the common defence pact with Athens is now extremely precarious given the parlous state of the Greek finances. Greece has no stomach for open conflict with Ankara, if the Turks were to launch an attack on Cyprus. Only Washington would step in to cool things down, and that would involve Israel, which would trigger a much bigger problem.
The President of Cyprus in London said:
“We call on Turkey to realise at long last what the solution is truly in its own interests and to work in the direction of finding a solution to the Cyprus issue, instead of causing tension in the area,” he said.
Does a weakened European Union have the guile to stand up to a dynamic vibrant economy that is Turkey and back the Republic of Cyprus rights to explore for natural gas in the Mediterranean? It should do, and Turkey should start getting more concerned over her own economy with the Turkish government current account deficit at 9 per cent, with 50 per cent of Turkey’s trade with the European Union, any aggression shown to the EU likely to result in costly trade sanctions imposed on Ankara.
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