The Filo-Jet ferry accident, which occurred off the coast of Kyrenia and resulted in the vessel sinking as a natural consequence of the ‘every man for himself’ system we live under, was most accurately and eloquently explained by the 4th President, Mustafa Akıncı.
In his statement following the accident, Akıncı essentially asked: “If the Cyprus problem had been resolved and we were a member state of the EU, would this accident have happened?”
An accident, by its very nature, is an accident and can occur even in the most advanced societies or systems.
However, an accident like the Filo-Jet incident can only—and I emphasise only—occur in a system such as that in northern Cyprus, which is detached from international law and norms, where anyone can do as they please.
I say ‘accident’, but in reality a murder took place. Because at the heart of this scandal lies everything from the captain’s licence, through the negligence of the Minister for Public Works and his department, to the port’s ‘come in without asking’ structure and the ship’s dilapidated condition.
We will continue, as we are doing, to discuss, ask and question the same issues time and time again. Yet, our assessment of what the root cause of these problems is, unfortunately, will not change.
I say ‘unfortunately’ because very few are willing to get to the root of the problem: the persistence of the Cyprus issue and, as a consequence, the disregard for international law!
Given this situation, operations continue under permits and licences issued by Turkish institutions – supposedly the only country to recognise the TRNC – and we are seeing the consequences of this in this disaster!
Regrettably, it appears that these unlawful practices will continue.
To be more specific, we cannot see any positive signs that the Cyprus issue will be resolved in the short, medium or long term.
Indeed, we have no excitement or expectations regarding the Cyprus issue, which is set to be taken to New York next week.
We can all see that the two leaders, who came together ‘under duress’ following the arrival and departure of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, have not made the slightest bit of progress.
We do not expect anything from the meeting the leaders are due to hold again this week either. On the contrary, we no longer even want any more meetings.
Is that too harsh?
Let’s be even harsher then: I believe this matter should be completely put on hold until the 2028 elections in the Republic of Cyprus, so that everyone can have some peace of mind.
Because no matter what the current Greek Cypriot leader says, he cannot convince the Turkish Cypriots. Mind you, we can see that he isn’t receiving much support from his own public either.
Consequently, the likelihood of this matter being resolved during Christodulidis’s term – barring a miracle – is virtually nil.
Similarly, the likelihood of it happening during Tufan Erhürman’s term – again, barring a miracle – is virtually nil.
Consequently, even if a new Greek Cypriot leader were to be elected in 2028, or even if AKEL’s candidate were to win, there is little point in harbouring any hope for a federal solution in Cyprus.
This is because the party that does not want a federal solution is essentially Turkey, and it is quite clear on this point. As long as this stance does not change, it is impossible to take any steps towards a solution.
On the other hand, given that the world has not responded to the two-state solution imposed by Turkey, there is in fact little to imagine in terms of a solution.
Indeed, Turkey, which has turned the intractability of the Cyprus problem into a geostrategic asset, has turned its presence on the island of Cyprus into an excellent playing field for its activities aimed at establishing a new regional hegemony based on power.
At this point, Greece—which insists on staying out of the fray amidst all this turmoil—is not at all bothered by Turkey’s stance of not wanting a solution. For them, the only important issue is the balance of power in the Aegean, and this appears to have been maintained, despite some tensions emerging in recent days.
Whilst we are on the subject, another guarantor, the United Kingdom, also has no qualms whatsoever about the unresolved situation in Cyprus. With two military bases on the island and numerous other priorities, the UK could not care less if a solution were not reached for another hundred years.
I am tired of repeating the same things like a parrot, but the party most affected by this deadlock is the Turkish Cypriots. It is always the Turkish Cypriots who are disappearing, losing their sense of community, and having their will usurped.
As I quoted at the beginning of the article, and as Akıncı wrote, had the issue been resolved positively at Crans-Montana in 2017, perhaps we would not be discussing such an accident today.
If that had been the case, we would probably not be discussing the alcohol-laced baby food scandal, nor the fake diploma and IVF scandals that have made us the subject of international media coverage.
And what about those much-feared property lawsuits?
Of course, we would not be discussing them at all!
Instead, we’d be discussing the issues resolved through the property commission to be established alongside the settlement, rather than the lawsuits.
However, unfortunately, these are not the things we’re discussing; they’re the unfortunate incidents I mentioned above!
It seems to me that we’ll have to live with this sense of helplessness for a long time to come—perhaps even forever...
I’d very much like to be wrong...
Source: THE HELPLESSNESS WE LIVE IN...
