Sir, - Lord Kilclooney of Armagh scored full marks when he assured your readers (April 26th) that the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus "is one of the most friendly and beautiful locations in the Mediterranean". I have no doubt that the ordinary Turkish Cypriots are as friendly as the Greek Cypriots or the Irish; and I do not have the slightest doubt that the Turkish-occupied, northern part of the island is one of the most beautiful locations anywhere in the world. I know, I was born and reared there.
His lordship scored poorly when he encouraged your readers to spend their holidays in the northern part of the island, especially when "there will now be flights from Dublin to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus".
Little did his lordship know that, on the same day, The Irish Times announced that Ireland, in its wisdom and in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, "refused permission for holiday flights from Dublin to North Cyprus, via Turkey. . ."
It is, of course, a matter of conscience whether any of your readers would want to spend their holidays in a pseudo-state which was brought about by the Turkish invasion in 1974, is sustained by the presence of over 30,000 fully armed Turkish troops and is recognised only by Turkey. It is a matter of conscience whether any of your readers would wish to stay in a hotel or guesthouse, or eat in a restaurant, which in all likelihood belonged to some of the 200,000 Greek Cypriots who fled to the south of the island during and after the Turkish invasion.
Where Lord Kilclooney scored dismally was when he blamed the EU Commissioner, Günter Verheugen, for believing that "the Turkish Cypriots are to blame for the lack of progress towards an internal settlement in the island of Cyprus before the European Union decides upon the accession of Cyprus." And, his Lordship continued, "The real problem is the EU and in particular Mr Verheugen himself, who has foolishly told the Greek Cypriots that they can join the EU irrespective of any settlement in Cyprus."
Lord Kilclooney ought to know that others, long before Mr Verheugen, also blamed the Turkish Cypriots, or more correctly their leadership and Ankara, "for lack of progress towards an internal solution". I would like to remind his lordship that, in 1994, at the end of lengthy and fruitless negotiations between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots under the auspices of the UN, a frustrated UN Secretary-General, Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, said in his report to the Security Council on May 31st that "for the present, the Security Council finds itself faced with an already familiar scenario: the absence of agreement due essentially to a lack of political will of the Turkish Cypriot side."
The Republic of Cyprus has already fulfilled almost all the requirements for joining the EU. It cannot, and should not, remain hostage in the hands of Turkey until Turkey, as Ankara insists, is ready to join the EU. Contrary to his lordship's statements, I believe that accession of Cyprus to the EU in the very near future will provide the catalyst for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus question to the benefit of both communities. - Yours, etc.,
Prof P.S. FLORIDES,
School of Mathematics,
Trinity College Dublin.