WE MUST HAVE HOPE

We are entering a new year. Every new year carries new hopes. However, unlike the past, we are entering the new year with a serious uncertainty in the world. In our country, we are entering the new year with harsh political statements in foreign policy, and significant uncertainty in the economic and political realms. The government entered the new year by announcing that it has suspended the proposed amendments to the the Cost of Living and the law for Collective Labour Agreement. The trade unions and members of social opposition entered the new year by postponing the strikes they organised in the last days of 2024. In other words, we enter 2025 with the sum of suspended decisions and actions. However, the Cost of Living and the economic crisis does not not really care for acts of suspension.

We say goodbye to 2024 with the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ harsh statement regarding the step taken by the Exxon Mobil-Qatar partnership for drilling. The following two sentences in the statement attracted my attention. One is, “our state will not refrain from taking the necessary steps aimed at protecting our legitimate and contractual rights”, and the other is, “we would like to emphasise once again that we always prefer to resolve conflicts through diplomacy and dialogue.” In this second sentence, there is a soft expression that is incompatible with the first one, that is, “we will not refrain from taking the necessary steps.” These words of diplomacy are good. However, it is not possible to find the fundamental reason that has created this situation, which we can define as a fait accompli, in the second sentence. There is no demand to address the fundamental basis that brings the continuation of these unilateral drilling steps, that is, the Inter-Communal Talks towards the solution of the Cyprus problem. So what is there? There is the proposal we made in 2022.

However, since then, there have been many other developments affecting the region. Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. The developments in Syria. In addition, the strategic, military, economic and political co-operation between the RoC and the USA. The increasing activity of the USA in Cyprus. And who is it that will start the drilling? Exxon Mobil from the USA. Its partner is Qatar. Moreover, these drilling activities are directly related to multilateral alliances with Israel, Egypt, the EU on one end, and Greece on the other end. It is clear that one of their aims is to neutralise Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot community along these energy routes and resources. Thus, it is necessary to overcome this challenge. In this regard, we should be active policy makers for the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the UN Parameters. Yet, we pushed aside this basis, which we greatly contributed to the development of, with our own hands in the name of ‘new politics’. This is how we presented the biggest opportunity for a political manoeuver to the zealots of the South, who are deeply satisfied with the fact that the non-solution of the Cyprus problem is tied with a shackle to the feet of the Turkish Cypriot Community and Turkey.

In other words, we cannot go not only to the new year, but also to the future with hope, neither by suspending the domestic economic and democratic problems without seriously addressing the trouble of inflation, nor by suspending the policy of bringing the Cyprus problem to a solution through negotiations on the gas and energy issue. I extend my best wishes to you on the New Year with the hope of brighter days to come…

This article was first published on 30.12.2024

Source: WE MUST HAVE HOPE