JOURNALIST: What is your analysis of Turkey’s actions at this time in the Cypriot EEZ?
E. VENIZELOS: Turkey is under a great deal of pressure from all sides. Although in theory it invokes the zero-problems foreign policy, it found itself surrounded by problems all along its border and in each of its regional identities. This, in combination with the deep division that exists within Turkish society, which was manifested in the elections – because although there was a clear and major victory for Mr. Erdogan, there is also an opposition that is radically opposed to his choices, despite its internal disagreements – leads to foreign policy choices that in reality are the doctrine of exporting crisis, which, in the end, concerns Turkish policy itself, Turkish foreign policy, defence and security policy, as well as the social cohesion policy Turkey implements.
In this sense, there is undoubtedly a need for great caution. We analyze Turkey’s strategy in depth, and we want our moves, the moves of Hellenism, the moves of Greece, but first and foremost the moves of the Republic of Cyprus – whom we back and who backs us – to be planned without the mistakes of the past.
JOURNALIST: In your assessment, what is Turkey pursuing through these specific moves it is making? Beyond the exporting of its own problems …
E. VENIZELOS: It is tabling its fundamental issue, which was always the disputing of the existence and the international legal personality of the Republic of Cyprus. I have said repeatedly, as often as I have spoken and written about the Cyprus issue over the past 35 years – not as a politician, but as a scholar – that Cypriot Hellenism’s great advantage is the existence and international legal personality of the Republic of Cyprus. I have been saying this since the 1980s. And this has been strengthened now by something else. By the acquis left by the Annan plan; the exceedingly important acquis of the referendum. Because, for the first time, the international community and the United Nations accepted this principle of the self-determination of the Cypriot people. That is, they entrusted the Cyprus problem to the democratic will of the Cypriot people. This is of vast importance, because it had never been acknowledged before 2004. And it was acknowledged and has created an acquis that we must capitalize on to the fullest.
And that is why it is of very, very great importance, when we read and interpret the February 2014 joint communiqué correctly, to insist on these points.
JOURNALIST: In your opinion, what can be done if Turkey, as is being said, brings a drilling platform to the region? And can it do something like that?
E. VENIZELOS: That would be flagrantly illegal. It would by a flagrant and provocative violation of international law. It also has to be noted that this is happening in an area where there is no dispute as to the delimitation of maritime zones – the EEZ and continental shelf – between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey. Turkey isn’t saying that it is claiming any rights, as is the case, for example, in the Aegean, where we have an issue of the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ.
We are talking here about a region that is definitely a region of the EEZ and continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus, a region delimited with the neighbouring countries, but Turkey disputes the existence of the Republic of Cyprus and its organs. It considers that its organs are not organs of the Republic of Cyprus, but of the Greek Cypriot administration, which it wants to equate with the illegal pseudo-state. It is of very great importance that this be understood, particularly by the international community. We are talking here about something that contravenes the simple fact that Cyprus is a member state of the UN, a member state of the European Union, a member state of the Eurozone.
JOURNALIST: Do you find the international community’s reaction to be satisfactory?
E. VENIZELOS: No, I don’t find it satisfactory. I would like something more. A critical link is missing from this reaction. Because, yes, the international community says clearly that the Republic of Cyprus exists, has an international personality, has national sovereignty and national sovereign rights. Thus, it has an EEZ, it has a continental shelf, it has rights to exploit its maritime mineral wealth.
It says that international law must be respected. It says that we have to return to the talks. It isn’t saying that Turkey must immediately cease the violation of international law and the provocative actions. This has to be said clearly, as it was underscored, for example, in the Greece-Cyprus-Egypt joint communiqué of 29 October. The international community has to say it, and Turkey has to understand it.
JOURNALIST: With such evident violations, shouldn’t the international community’s reaction be stronger, with even the imposition of sanctions against Turkey?
E. VENIZELOS: International legality is not a comprehensive system. This is the big problem that the notion of law has globally. There isn’t an integrated system of global governance, and there isn’t execution of all the rulings. Unfortunately.
Otherwise, the international crime of the occupation and settlement of Cyprus would not have continued for 40 years now. But, unfortunately, Cyprus isn’t the only example. There are many, many open wounds on the body of international legality.
What we need to do begins with what we have to avoid. And I believe that what we have to avoid is the repetition of past mistakes.
JOURNALIST: Like?
E. VENIZELOS: Moves that might have seemed right in the past, but that proved historically to create a bigger problem. And I am not referring just to the case of Cyprus. I am also referring to the case of Greece, because we too have a huge Greek experience, which has shaped a state of affairs. I don’t want to go into details, purposely, but I want to say this, which summarizes everything: In no case can a moratorium be accepted. That is, a freezing, a suspension of the exercising of the Republic of Cyprus’s sovereign rights cannot be accepted.
JOURNALIST: That’s basic. Is there any plan for a joint reaction from Greece and Cyprus?
E. VENIZELOS: Obviously. We have drawn up our plan in detail. And this was apparent from the moves we have made on a bilateral level and from our multilateral international initiatives. It was also apparent from the European Council, where, in fact, for purely incidental reasons, the Greek Prime Minister also represented the President of the Republic of Cyprus, as provided for by the Lisbon Treaty, in cases where a member of the Council is absent for emergency reasons.
JOURNALIST: Are you considering the delimitation of the EEZ between Greece and Cyprus, or with Egypt, where the trilateral summit meeting is to be held?
E. VENIZELOS: Greece is in talks with Egypt regarding the delimitation of maritime zones. With regard to Cyprus, it is very significant that we signed an agreement, with Mr. Kasoulides, that we can characterize as historic, because with this agreement on search and rescue, we have for the first time delimited the maritime spaces. The maritime regions of the two countries that correspond to the Athens FIR and the Nicosia FIR. This is very, very important. With regard to the other maritime zones, there is no doubt whatsoever that, with respect for international law, we will proceed. And from this perspective, Egypt’s role is of course catalytic.
JOURNALIST: Is there anything specific at this time?
E. VENIZELOS: There is nothing that can be announced.
JOURNALIST: In your opinion, does Turkey have to proceed to some clear statement in order for the talks to start again?
E. VENIZELOS: First of all, we are talking about actions here. Statement do not suffice. We need actions that are in accordance with international legality and that support and bolster the negotiations, which are prescribed by the international community. We welcomed with great pleasure the appointment of Mr. Eide as the UN Secretary General’s special adviser. He is an extremely experienced European politician who has in-depth knowledge of the Cyprus issue, as I had the opportunity to see during my meeting with him in New York – a long meeting, very substantial. And I will welcome him to Athens on 5 November, for another meeting.
But, of course, there is only one critical factor here: Turkey. Greece’s stance cannot be equated with that of Turkey. Nor can the standing of Cyprus be equated with that of an illegal pseudo-state, the recognition of which is prohibited by a UN Security Council resolution.
JOURNALIST: We now come to the trilateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt …
E. VENIZELOS: The trilateral cooperation is very important. This was the third trilateral meeting. Two earlier ones were held in New York, on the ministerial level. And this meeting has the following two special characteristics: First, it is taking place in the midst of a state of affairs that is very critical, due to the Turkish actions. And second, it prepares the first Summit Meeting, which will take place on 8 November. The day after Greek Prime Minister Samaras’s visit to Nicosia – I too will be coming to Cyprus again, naturally. We will have the opportunity to participate in a meeting of the heads of the Cypriot political parties, which I think will be extremely useful nationally. But it would be desirable if we had positive developments on the ground by that day: actions of de-escalation, rather than actions of escalation.
JOURNALIST: What do you expect from this trilateral summit meeting?
E. VENIZELOS: We already have the joint announcement of New York, about a month ago, in which we took a stance on the major pending issues in the region, the various crises. I also had the opportunity to participate in the Gaza Conference, which was held in Cairo two weeks ago. Egypt plays a decisive role in all the issues: regarding Gaza, regarding Syria, Lebanon, Libya. And apart from that, we have the energy issues, which, as you can see, are also linked to an approach that is always politico-international, not just economic or developmental. And we also have other issues that we mustn’t underestimate, like joint tourism initiatives in a Mediterranean market. But for us, of course, on the bilateral level, the discussion on the delimitation of maritime zones between Greece and Egypt is very important.
November 2, 2014