EU and MARAŞ?
What times we live in.
EU parliamentarians have taken to discussing the situation in Maraş.
Let's see what they have to say; what will come of it?...
***
Before sitting down in the chair in front of the desk where my computer is, to write my column, I wanted to take a look at the news that had come through the news agencies.
Actually, my intention was to wrap up the topic of “the media and its problems in the TRNC,” which I had written about in my last few columns.
But how could I?
With the EU’s pearls of wisdom continuing, it’s impossible to talk about different subjects.
***
Anyway, let’s get back to our subject.
One of the news items that came through the agencies caught my attention. It said: “The European Parliament plenary will discuss the situation in Maraş and the lifting of the isolation imposed on the TRNC at today’s session. Following an oral question addressed to the European Commission, Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, will brief European parliamentarians on the latest developments on the issue at today’s session.”
Apparently EU parliamentarians are going to discuss the situation in Maraş. Does Maraş have a situation? One we don’t know about?
As this question went round in my mind, I remembered that I live in the TRNC and began to question myself about the matter.
My conclusion: In my view, there is no situation concerning Maraş.
Yes, I reached that conclusion; but some things were still occupying my mind!
“What kind of situation was Maraş, which as far as we were concerned had no situation, for the EU?”
This profound question took me back to an article I had written days earlier. I remembered the opening sentence of my October 9, 2006 article, titled “The UN? / The EU?”: “These days we are discussing Finland’s proposals.
Strange, isn’t it?
Yet until yesterday, we were strongly opposed to the EU getting involved in this matter.” I had said. Two days later, in my article titled “They Won’t Buy It,” I commented on the Greek Cypriots’ stance toward Finland’s proposals with these words: “The Greek Cypriots, meanwhile, are silent.
They are following what is happening, with their eyes and ears in Brussels.
In fact, while we didn’t send a single journalist, they sent an army of reporters.
Right now, they are all crouched down, eyes narrowed.
They are just like a lion tracking a gazelle.
You can hear only their heartbeats.
The Greek Cypriots are on tenterhooks, too.
They’re waiting for someone to say ‘yes.’
They’re drooling.
They’re thinking: ‘If only these Turks would say yes, then we could get the EU involved in this, hehuheuehu.’” I had said.
And in an instant, the question marks in my mind disappeared.
Because that was the whole point of Finland’s proposals in the first place.
The upshot: the EU is discussing the situation in Maraş today.
In other words, you could say they got what they wanted.
Yeah. Is this something that concerns us?
I can almost hear you saying, “Noooo.”
However much you say “noooo,” this situation now concerns us too, unfortunately.
Again, I can almost hear you saying, “Oh, come on. No one can put pressure on us unless we want them to.”
You’re right.
However, you may be right if we are aware of this trick.
If we are shaping our policies accordingly, then good for us.
But what if we aren’t?