EU should not allow Greek Cypriots to sabotage ties

Once again the European Union is struggling with the whims of the Greek Cypriots. As soon as the Greek Cypriots realized that EU leaders saw no other option but to appease Turkey and thus allow positive moves on Ankara's full membership, they have started demanding concessions from the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey on Cyprus and are threatening to veto any move that will advance Turkey's cause to become a full member of the union.

The EU has been taken hostage by the Greek Cypriots for years. They have obstructed the EU and prevented it from improving ties with the Turkish Cypriots despite repeated promises by major EU leaders that they would make every effort to reward the Turks for approving the Kofi Annan plan to unite the island in a referendum while the Greek Cypriots voted to reject it.

The Greeks have become a thorn in the side of the EU's structure. They simply do not contribute to anything and they only act to suck the riches of the union.

The fact that the Greek Cypriot leaders are trying to sabotage the EU's ties with Turkey contradicts the image they are trying to create on Cyprus that they are making every effort to strike an agreement with the Turkish Cypriots to reunite the island and that a solution has now appeared on the horizon. This attitude shows that they are not sincere and that they are just buying time and fooling the Turkish Cypriots.

The Greek Cypriot leaders do not seem to understand that EU powers are all facing the growing threat of a mass exodus of Syrians fleeing their country and no one is in the mood to listen to the whims of the spoilt politicians of Greek Cyprus.

EU leaders clearly see that if they want Turkey to cooperate to halt the exodus and try to house the Syrians on Turkish land then a few billion euros will not do the trick. Turkey has already spent $7.5 billion for the 2.5 million Syrians being hosted on Turkish soil for about four years without any meaningful international help. Turkey has shown hospitality and humaneness to the Syrians while Europe has just watched on, doing nothing. Now everyone has to pay the price not only to halt the exodus but also to pay for their past negligence.

The EU has reneged on all its promises to Turkey just because the Greek Cypriots and Athens sabotaged ties and some European leaders who did not want Turkey in the EU turned a blind eye to their outbursts. But today they all need Turkey more than ever.

So the EU will take serious steps to help Turkey in the drive for full membership by starting meaningful negotiations on crucial accession chapters; Turkey should be part of the Schengen structure, Turkey's losses in the Customs Union treaty should be compensated and Turkish leaders should be invited to EU summits. If not, a few billion euros will not help to encourage Turks to keep the Syrians on Turkish soil.

Someone has to make the Greek Cypriots understand these facts. If not then the EU countries are welcome to all the Syrians who find their way to their borders. Maybe a few hundred thousand can be hosted on Greek Cypriot land.