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INTERVIEW

Turkish Cypriots’ President Tatar addresses the new UN representative in advance…

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Allegations that there has been an intensive sale of land in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to foreigners, especially Israel, have caused controversy. We asked TRNC President Ersin Tatar about these allegations, the steps taken by the TRNC towards recognition and what it means for Russia to open a consulate in the country. Besides, President Tarar addressed the new UN Cyprus Representative Cuéllar saying “no negotiations unless TRNC is not recognized as a sovereign equal state.”

‘Speculations are just rumors’

There were different news stories both in Türkiye and in the Cypriot press about the amount of land and real estate that Israelis or people of Israeli origin who acquired TRNC citizenship are said to have. Simultaneously with these allegations, the Israeli Prime Ministry also claimed that some terrorist elements were trained in the TRNC and that assassinations against Jews in the country were prevented by MOSSAD agents. What would you say when you evaluate these two claims simultaneously?

There is some very mixed news coming out today. Of course, we look at what institutions and organizations say. So, speculations are just rumors. I also ask my own institutions. According to the information my security affairs commander gave me, there is absolutely no operation related to such terrorist organizations. Both statements made by Israel and the statement made by others; none of these has anything to do with reality. This is the state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This state has its own units; there is the police, there is the security forces command. Those have all kinds of precautions. We can take any precautions immediately if anything. Therefore, I never think that there is a problem with our security. Here we not only have our own police and security forces, but also the Republic of Türkiye has a corps called the Cyprus Peace Forces. All these units maintain our trust. Therefore, no one should take the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus lightly. Our laws here are clear and unambiguous. A foreigner can buy a house or a decare of land after passing a security investigation and with the decision of the council of ministers. Allegations here are that Jewish companies, in particular, purchased large acres of land from the owners through contracts, through some people -maybe lawyers or others. Our Minister of Internal Affairs, our police and prosecutor’s office are investigating this claim. Because this is not legal. The most important thing, I repeat, is that it is subject to security investigation. All kinds of security clearance are processed, and if approval is received, this property can be registered in the title deed by the decision of the ministry. But there is this: First of all, there are many Jews living in the Republic of Türkiye, our dear brothers, there are very valuable people who have great reputation and do business in the Republic of Türkiye.

What is happening in Gaza now is a human tragedy. Such a thing should never have happened in this age and we have always condemned it. Yet, it is not okay in my conscience to blame the atrocities committed by Israel on Palestine on the entire Jewish community living in the Republic of Türkiye. Because these people are citizens of the Republic of Türkiye and there may be people from some different countries who invest here. Because this Jewish community, Jews, live all over the world. They are not just in Israel; There are both in America and in England.

According to my information, Jewish citizens are definitely not in the first place as a foreign presence in our country. You can ask this to real estate agents, contractors, or the public. Who will be first in line? Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye. Who will be second? According to what I see and the information I get from my contacts on the street, it would be Iranians. After that, the Kazakhs come, then the Russians. Because after the Ukrainian war, many Russians came here and went to the north from Southern Cyprus. Because there are definitely 100,000 Russian citizens in Southern Cyprus. There are at least that many British citizens. There is also a large population from other countries. Because it is a European Union state and they prefer the economic and social opportunities in the European Union state. There is no limit to who owns property there. I say it loud and clear: 100,000 Russian citizens and 100,000 British citizens have homes and places in Southern Cyprus. And of course, from all other countries, about 100 thousands of them are in Southern Cyprus, a European state. There are investments made there from the outside world and everyone accepts this there. They say, “These people constitute a resource for our economy.” Therefore, there is a mentality in the south that says “this foreigner will come and buy it, this foreigner will live here, money will come into Cyprus”. As you know, after the Ukrainian War, Southern Cyprus was forced to obey the Russians because it was in the European Union and the European Union imposed harsh sanctions on Russia. Russia and Southern Cyprus have Orthodox family ties; Despite this, they fell out. Russians were greatly disturbed by the treatment they received in Southern Cyprus. A large number of Russians therefore moved to the north. They live here now. This is the history of the matter.

Of course, we are sensitive and our government is investigating this by asking “I wonder if someone is buying too much property under contract?” and “where is this going?” As the president, I am constantly trying to get information from our police, our security forces commander, our Minister of Internal Affairs and the authorities. But I have never come across any exaggerated statements such as “so many Jews have invested so much here” or “this place is in danger”.

Actually, I feel sorry for him because if all these speculations are not true as claimed, Cyprus will suffer from this. Because Cyprus is a sensitive point. For years, no one came to Cyprus as a foreigner. Now, especially after the Ukrainian War, there has been tremendous interest. These houses, places, lands and residences started to be sold. This is the entry of a great resource into the economy. Everyone, the opposition and the government, accepts this. All of these investments are very valuable. I wish I could see more Turkish citizens come here and buy houses and settle down. There are also people who come, but when we look at the numbers, the numbers I just listed and the interest of different nationalities here have created discomfort. Because my citizen asked this question: “Where is this going?” Therefore, the state will follow up on this matter. We will see if this business is harming us, then a decision of the Council of Ministers can stop all this. But right now, we don’t have the luxury of stopping this because we need support, we need resources. In order to avoid any danger in the future, we will and cannot allow the existence of some polarizations and structures that are far from the Turkish Cypriots but are like their own colonies. I don’t see any such dangers anyway.

Well, you said, “We are monitoring it, the numbers I have do not say that.” After the citizens of the Republic of Türkiye, what do the numbers you have say? Which country buys property here most?

As far as I can see, there are Iranians, Kazakhs, British, Russians and Ukrainians in the first place. The contribution of those coming from Türkiye to us is both economic and social. It is very important for all kinds of relationships. For this reason, I once again hope that our brothers and citizens in Türkiye will direct all kinds of building, housing and land investments, whether summer residences or investments, to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

When we take into consideration the fact that there are some restrictions in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, especially embargoes and isolations, all these relations and contacts become even more important.

You just mentioned that the population of Russian citizens on the island is increasing. This situation was talked about a lot in Türkiye as well. When it was said that “Russia will provide consular services in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, everyone got excited. Questions were raised such as “Is this step a step towards recognition, a green light, or is Russia winking?” There were also those who evaluated it hopeful. We received different statements on this issue. For example, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu said that this was a step taken by the Russians to facilitate the affairs of their own citizens. Some of your special advisors saw this more positively and interpreted it as Russia taking a step forward. How do you look at it?

I consider it reflected positively. Because this consular service is a positive development. No one should take this lightly, no one should underestimate it. There are two factors here. One of them is the discomfort felt by some Russians in Southern Cyprus after the Russia-Ukraine War. Because Southern Cyprus is a European state, there are some blockades, serious actions and measures that they impose on Russian citizens very unfairly. Some of them felt uncomfortable and moved to the north. I know that many Russians moved here after the start of the Ukrainian War. They would pass by, do their daily work, and then return. Some of them chose to settle here instead of going back and forth. This is important because, after all, there is a state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. There is an authority here. There is an order here. And frankly, I see that people greet this with respect. Russia taking such a step actually means a lot. In other words, there are very important and deep ties between Russia and Southern Cyprus. Because they are Orthodox. In particular, Southern Cyprus, Serbia, Greece and Russia are the four main Orthodox countries. This (unfair treatment) happened even though they have Orthodox ties with Russia and despite the fact that the Russians have been supporting the Southern Cyprus economy tremendously for years, despite the fact that the Russian oligarchs’ money is seriously in the Southern Cyprus banks, that is, in the European Union… They cannot deny this. Papadopoulos, later Anastasiades, they all had law offices. These Presidents were lawyers and their law offices even gave them (Russians) citizenship, so long as they could invest in Southern Cyprus. So, this investment issue is such a serious issue.

For years, they have never made such investments here (TRNC) because they did not recognize the Turkish people of Northern Cyprus, because they did not trust here, because they did not know what Türkiye’s policy would be like here, because they were not sure, and because they were afraid that “anything could happen at any time”. They always went to Southern Cyprus and other places. Now, after the Ukrainian War, such a conjuncture occurred… After my presidency, with my “two states” discourse and Türkiye’s full support for this policy, this policy became stronger. As this policy became stronger, trust in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus increased. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will live forever. Even if there is an agreement, it will be a part of that agreement. Therefore, with the understanding that “TRNC has a bright future”, people started to buy property from here. The rate has actually increased in the last 34 years.

Of course, we do not find it right for people from the same nation to cluster together as such a bloc. I feel uncomfortable. But according to the information I received, some lands is bought building these constructions on these lands, and then selling them as residences in hundreds or even thousands. But as I said, they will undergo a security investigation. With the decision of the Council of Ministers, they can purchase one house or at most one decare. In those big apartment buildings, obviously a foreigner can buy one flat but not more. Therefore, when he looks at that great structure, “one day they will all wake up and make an attempt against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”: There is no such world. I’ve been seeing those apartments and tall buildings both in Iskele and around Famagusta lately. There could be people from all different nationalities there. All of them respect TRNC and come and buy property and invest here, buy a house, go to the electricity company and register under their own name, go to the municipality and pay the property tax, go to the Ministry of Finance and pay the fee… All of these increase the prestige of the Turkish Northern Cypriot government. Therefore, when storytelling all these claims, of course, those who write are writing because they love this place and to protect this place, so that we can continue our existence here in peace, tranquility and security as a truly important and beautiful place. But I watched some exaggerated news with astonishment and I do not believe that they will bring any benefit to the Turkish government of Northern Cyprus. That’s why it would be beneficial to filter all these publications a bit.

We gained new information. At the TRNC Media forum organized by the Global Journalists Council, a bureaucrat in the committee that prepared the Prime Ministry’s 5th Development Plan gave the following information: “A model called lease-hold, which is also used in England, can be applied. Foreign citizens can buy property in TRNC, but not land. “They can buy a building, but even if they buy a building, they will have to pay rental fee to the person who owns the land.” Is this a concrete step or something that is being discussed? So, was this was put forward as a precaution?

It’s a debatable issue. There is a law in a matter. It has a constitution. It has rights, it has law. Who owns the property? What kind of savings will that owner make? Of course, it (the model) is a good thing. After all, the building above it has a lifespan. When the life of the building ends, after 100 years or 120 years, that land passes to the state, but whose land belonged to it in the first place? Lawyers will clarify these matters after examining this.

Former Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar will be appointed as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Cyprus. It is an only 6-month appointment. What kind of work will she do in such a short time? Will she submit a report? There is a view that the new representative’s sole duty is to seek grounds for negotiation. Do you agree with this? How do you view negotiations? Your doors are open to the two-state solution. This is a discourse that you support. But you say, “If this does not happen, we will continue our way independently as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.” What kind of timetable do you have for the two-state solution and negotiation?

We have been giving this fight this way for years. They do not recognize us unfairly, but becoming a state does not necessarily mean recognition. To become a state; we need land, we have it. A nation is needed, there is. You need history, we have. Democracy is needed, it exists. Also, another country needs to recognize you. That country is the Republic of Türkiye. Since the Republic of Türkiye recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the condition of statehood has been fully met. Rauf Denktaş even said, “Instead of 100 states recognizing me, let the Republic of Türkiye recognize me; it’s better for me.” We are an independent state with all its institutions and organizations, and we deserve this state. Because there is a nation here. These people have the right to self-government. A system is needed, and that is the state and the republic. What we are trying to do, now, is to maintain student flow in a healthier way and to ensure that more qualified students from many different countries come here. There are currently students from 144 different countries. Hopefully this can increase even more, but quality is also important. The other important issue is tourism. That’s why people from hundreds of different countries come and go here for tourism purposes. Our exports and imports take place with hundreds of different countries. Remittances, transfers and letters of credit are made for all these. Transfers are made through the bank, goods arrive, services arrive. Now, all this shows that this state is being accepted at some point or another. Of course, this shows that it is recognized accordingly. However, the UN must decide that they recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. That resolution is not passed. Because, unfortunately, the states in the UN Security Council look at the world differently. They do not respond as positively to our understanding of democracy as we would like. They keep us in the refrigerator and hope that the conjuncture here will change against us and that we will swear allegiance to them and fall prey to the Greek Cypriots.

What will the UN Special Representative for Cyprus do in 6 months?

Is there a basis for meeting in 6 months or not? Will look into this. She will check our pulse. She will make these speeches both with the guarantor countries, with us and with Southern Cyprus. Because after all, someone has to intervene and talk. For us, the initiation of the negotiation process requires the acceptance of our sovereign equality and equal national status position. If she does not accept these, we will not sit at that negotiating table. If there is to be an agreement in Cyprus, there will be cooperation between the two states. The UN may not recognize us now, but if it wants an agreement, it will. It will recognize and cooperate with me. If it doesn’t do this, there is no basis for agreement with me. So, we will ask this incoming former Colombian Foreign Minister, the lady who is currently appointed as special envoy, to confirm this. So, this is what I will tell her. “Look, the conditions have not been met. The other side is still trying to pull us into the federation. When we say federation, our Turkish State of Northern Cyprus disappears. Türkiye’s guarantorship ends. Turkish soldiers withdraw from the island. Because zero soldiers means zero guarantee.” It is not possible for us to say “yes” to these.

You are saying it in advance by actually announcing it to the press. You say, “If you will come to the negotiation with these conditions, do not come.”

She may come, she ay not come. It’s upon her. She will come, she will hear, she will go. If she doesn’t accept it, she will hear it and leave. I told this to the UN and the EU as well. I also told Southern Cyprus. I also told the British. I’m telling them all. Therefore, we have nothing to shy away from. Because Türkiye fully supports us in this regard.

Does Greece have a role in all what’s happening? Currently, Türkiye-Greece rapprochement and the Athens Declaration are being discussed a lot. Was the issue of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the table in Athens or not?

No, no. I talked to the highest level. First of all, the Cyprus issue is a different issue. Athens-Türkiye relations are between two great countries with their own economic, tourism, etc. It was a visit to make some breakthroughs and to give messages of friendship. There were also very important statements made during that visit. But when you look at the Cyprus issue, it is out of the question. Because there is a conflict here that has been going on for a century. There are some that were made during the British period. But, of course, the structure here is very important. Because ultimately, if peace, tranquility and security continue here in the Eastern Mediterranean, the balance is very important. In Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot, but also Turkish-Greek balance have always played an important role. As a matter of fact, even in the Treaty of Lausanne signed in 1923, it is stated in Article 16 that if the day comes and England withdraws from the island, the Republic of Türkiye will definitely have the right to have a say in the future of the island. Even though this state was an independent Republic, it was accepted that Türkiye, as a guarantor country, had the right and law regarding the developments here. As a matter of fact, it happened. In 1974, soldiers set foot on the island and after 1974, the two-state policy in Cyprus was further strengthened. There are currently two separate states in Cyprus. This is actually a great success in 50 years. Indeed, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus provides a great service to the Eastern Mediterranean. What is this service? The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus plays a key role in establishing and maintaining peace, tranquility and political balance in the Eastern Mediterranean. If the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus did not exist and if Cyprus had turned into a Greek island with a unitary structure within the European Union, there could have been all kinds of conflicts that would have an extremely negative impact on Türkiye’s security. There is no conflict now. There is no possibility of war. For 50 years, everything in Cyprus has been peaceful and no one has had a nosebleed.

All your diplomatic efforts continue. The Republic of Türkiye’s attempts to help recognize the TRNC were reflected in President Erdoğan’s address at the United Nations. These are very important, but I would also like to ask you about media diplomacy. Because those who do not know the Turkish side, those who do not know the Turkish side, those who have not come here, recognize the island as the Republic of Cyprus founded by the Greeks and know it as such. In terms of media diplomacy, do you plan to increase projects such as this Forum organized by the Global Journalists Council? Do not only the countries and states of the world but also their people need to know you? How well-known are you? Do you have a strategy for this?

We are much better known than before because we are working hard. At the same time, the ambassadors and permanent representatives of the Republic of Türkiye everywhere are trying to explain the case of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus all over the world. World States know very well what is going on in Cyprus because they all have a position, an interest, an expectation and a responsibility here. There is much more awareness and recognition than before. It is the same in the Organization of Turkish States and in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Türkiye has relations with many states in Africa. There is always this axis there, wherever Türkiye is. In this way, Türkiye and we, One Heart, are trying to carry this out.

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INTERVIEW

The West doesn’t have a project, we should build a platform of peace and solidarity

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3 days ago

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26/04/2024

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From April 18 to 21, hundreds of organizations and social movements from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East and Europe came together in Caracas, Venezuela, to discuss the problems, dangers, alternatives, struggles and most important issues that social organizations are facing today. In this framework, we had the opportunity to listen and learn from their collective experiences and from the great Indian intellectual Vijay Prashad, who gave us an overview of how the world is today and also the alternatives we have to confront what he calls “a decadent hyper-imperialism”.

Vijay Prashad and Venezuelan journalist Micaela Ovelar

Barbarism characterizes the world today: The Palestinian genocide

We live in a very barbaric world. It’s unimaginable, the barbarism that dominated the world today. The barbarism of apartheid Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people. Now, 20 years ago, the barbarism of US imperialism against the Iraqi people, an illegal war, actually, a violation of the United Nations charter. Maybe 2 million people killed, displaced, injured. Not one Iraqi family was untouched by that war. Now, in Gaza, at least 300 families have been wiped out from history. 300 families their family names will not carry forward. That is the brutality of the Israeli bombing.

It’s actually quite stanning how brutal this bombing has been. It’s hard to explain to people who haven’t been into a war zone how ugly war is. War is loud. There’s a lot of noise. War in a modern period is ugly because a lot of toxic chemicals come out of buildings when they come down. And those chemicals poisoned generations of people. In Fallujah, In Ramadi, in Iraq, the United States used depleted uranium. Children are still born in Iraq with defects from that depleted uranium. That is the brutality, the barbarism of imperialism. That is the attitude of Monroism.

Monroism is barbaric. It’s brutal. Sometimes the word imperialism doesn’t capture emotionally how brutal imperialism actually is. How brutal, how barbaric, how inconsiderate it is towards the lives of ordinary people. 50,000 people have probably already been killed in Gaza. There are 7000 people missing, of them 5000 children. 15,000 children died in Gaza. A generation lost. That is the brutality, the callousness of imperialism.

The Israel’s war against Palestine and Iran

Well, Israel has been in the middle of a brutal genocidal war against the Palestinian people and people around the world have stood up to say Israel can’t do this to the Iranians. Some of those people, of course, have been the people of Iran, the people of other countries in the Middle East.

The Israelis, knowing that, attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria, in Damascus, and that’s the reason why Iran had to strike Israel militarily, because Israel first struck an Iranian embassy illegally in Syria.

I hope that the war between Israel doesn’t accelerate to include Syria and Iran in other countries, including Turkey, perhaps. I hope we are able to calm things down, have a cease fire, let the Palestinians recover. That’s the priority.

How to understand hyper-imperialism

We use the term hyper imperialism to capture some of that burtality of that barbarism. You see, the thing about hyper imperialism laid by the United States is that it is dangerous and it is decadent. It is both dangerous and decadent. I think it’s very important for us to recognize the danger and decadence of hyper imperialism. 75% of the share of global military spending is spent by the United States, its Nato allies, and its close Nato allies like Japan and South Korea.

75% of global military spending is spent by the United States and its allies.

I want you to think about that. When people say, well, China is a threat. When people say Russia is a threat. What are they talking about? China is a threat? That’s not a factual statement. China is responsible for 10% of world military spending. The United States and its allies are responsible for 75% of world militar spending. How is China a threat? How is Russia a threat? How is Venezuela threat? How is Cuba a threat?

The United States is the real threat

There is only one threat to the planet now, and that threat is hyper imperialism structure led by the United States and its close European allies. That’s the real threat. The only terrorist we have on the planet is the US government and its close allies, including Israel. That’s the terrorist. That’s the only terrorists. That’s the biggest threat to the planet that we face today.

But it’s worse than that. That’s dangerous, yes, but it’s worse than just being dangerous. It’s much worse than that. It’s also decadent. Look at the people who are leading the West: President Joe Biden (USA), Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Germany), Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (UK), President Emmanuel Macron (France), not one of these people has earned the respect of the people anywhere in the world. How is it possible that these countries with their immense wealth cannot produce even one intelligent world leader?

How is it possible that every single leader of the global North is mediocre? You see, it is no about Biden’s age. There are lots of people who are 80 years old, 90 years old, extremely lucid. It’s not about the age. It’s not about Donald Trump’s brutal manners. There are lots of brutal people in the world. They’re not all like Donald Trump.

It’s not about Olaf Scholz, who we don’t even see. When Olaf Scholz comes on a stage, it’s almost like he’s a shadow. He doesn’t even exist, at least, Angela Merkel has personality. Olaf Scholz doesn’t even have a personality. How is that France produced Emmanuel Macron? The country of the French Revolution. The country of the Paris Commune. The country of philosophers like Jean Paul Sartre.

Europe is not the solution either: They don’t have a project

Europe is not producing philosophers anymore. There is no Hegel in Germany today. There is no Sarte in France. There are no real intellectuals produced in the United States. The problem is in the age of Biden. The lack of personality of Schulz. The problem is that they don’t have a project. They don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t understand the dilemmas of humanity. They don’t understand how you need to transcend poverty.

They don’t understand what it means to have a real project to educate our children or helping the world. We saw the complete collapse of the global North during the COVID pandemic, but before the COVID pandemic, after the financial crisis of 2008, from which they have never recovered in that long term depression, we watched the global North struggle. With things like homelessness, with things like racism, homophobia and so on.

USA and Europe don’t have a project.

They don’t have any fresh ideas. In that sense, they are decadent. They’re not only dangerous, but they’re decadent. Hyper imperialism is dangerous. Yes. They don’t know how to build bridges anymore. They know how to blow them up. Hyper imperialism is dangerous, but it’s decadent as well. They can blow up the bridge. They don’t like building. They don’t have the money in public hands to build bridges. They don’t know how to build schools anymore. They don’t know what education is anymore. They don’t understand health care. The decadent aspect of hyper imperialism is very important for us.

It’s important for us because they are trying to convince the world because, they don’t have a project, that there’s no future. They’re trying to convince the world that what you have is what you have. What you have now is what you will have forever. Nothing can be improved. You should be lucky to have what you have now. Because it can get worse. They are decadent because they don’t have a future to offer for people.

Alternatives: Build a Platform of Peace and Solidarity

Those of us who believe in the people, those of us who believe in the possibility of a future, it’s not enough for us to just criticize imperialism. It’s not enough for us to just criticize the danger and decadence of the world leaders in the global North. It’s not enough to just criticize them.

We are very good at criticizing. We are the best anti-capitalist critics. We know how to say no. We know how to fight with them. We know how to say no to them. But if we want to build the biggest movement around the world, we have to have something through which people can say, yes, we need to have a project.

We need to have people build optimism. We need to be optimistic. I mean, you people to be optimistic not only for the future. But we need them to be all optimistic in our project. They need to believe that socialism is possible and necessary. It’s not enough to say another world is possible. We have to say socialism is necessary. Not only is socialism necessary, but socialism is possible.

It’s very important for people from around the world to come together on a platform of peace and a platform of development and reject war. We need to solve the problems of poverty, the problems of lack of education, problems of lack of health support. We need to solve those problems. We shouldn’t be wasting all our wealth on war. And that’s why it’s important for us to come together.

The Bolivarian Revolution and Hugo Chavez

Venezuela has been in the middle of a big struggle since 1998, when Hugo Chavez appeared to be a presidential candidate. Since that time, Venezuela has put a flag into the soil, insisting that the world can be different, that the problems we face now can be overcome. And so since 1998, Venezuela has been a place which has invited people from around the world to gather and think seriously about solving the world’s problems of the world.

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INTERVIEW

‘There is a migrant problem in Türkiye; if the situation in Afghanistan goes worse, it will be a serious problem’

Published

6 days ago

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23/04/2024

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Amir Mohammad Ramin, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Ankara, spoke to Harici. Assessing the economic, social, security and political problems in Afghanistan, Ambassador Ramin pointed to the role of the United States, which “came to the country without notice” and then left without any commitment to the economy, stability and security.

Ambassador Amir Mohammad Ramin answered our questions on the current situation in Afghanistan, relations with regional countries, security issues, recognition negotiations and foreign investment.

The US withdrew from Afghanistan, but left a big economic crisis behind and at the same time, hunger, poverty, epidemic, diseases, and many other problems remain. How do you think Afghanistan will recover? 

Unfortunately, contrary to the expectations of the general public and the people in Afghanistan, the United States came to Afghanistan without any prior notice through, of course, a UN Security Council Resolution, but also left Afghanistan very abruptly without any sort of commitment for Afghanistan’s economic stability, future stability and development. In Afghanistan, the economic situation has died. People are in a difficult situation. And the reason is that we have the development situation in post-August 2021. The new de-facto authority has not been recognized. And there are no formal economic relations with Afghanistan right now. And in certain ways, Afghanistan remains under sanctions. For example, the SWIFT doesn’t work in Afghanistan. So for all these reasons, Afghanistan is going through a very difficult time. There’s no doubt. When it comes to the general public’s rights, human rights, it is a very dire situation. So what can be done that the situation in Afghanistan can get better? The best thing would be to look at this from two perspectives. One, domestic perspective. Domestic perspective, I think the de-facto authorities need to open up, engage with the public, try to create a rule-based system, try to create a constitution, try to define the rules, regulations and the rights of the people. Unless peoples are given their important rights and unless people are listened to, it will not be difficult to address the situation in Afghanistan. The issue of domestic legitimacy is very important. And that will only happen through a kind of mutual interaction and understanding between the people and these de-facto authorities. The second thing is that once domestic legitimacy is addressed, it comes to regional and international legitimacy. And that, I’m sure, will naturally come once the issue of Afghanistan internally happens. But given the dire situation in Afghanistan right now, it is very important that we do not forget the 35 million or 40 million people, we need to get to their humanitarian needs. And that’s why I continue to encourage all international actors to continue to address the humanitarian needs of people in Afghanistan. In this regard, Türkiye is doing well. I’m very grateful to the humanitarian assistance that Türkiye is sending to Afghanistan right now. More than 60 organizations are active in Afghanistan. Most of them are involved in two areas, humanitarian assistance as well as education, which both are very important. But in the short term, humanitarian assistance, in the long term, the issue of education are vital because education is a long-term investment for Afghanistan. So those are my views on how the situation could get better and go forward.

The US confiscated Afghanistan’s money, so to speak. It is obvious that Afghanistan needs this money very much right now. Will there be an international initiative regarding this? How do you evaluate this incident?

The continues to remain frozen. But my understanding is that there are ways to make sure that the money can get to the people. And their needs can be addressed. There has to be certain ways to be used. I myself am not directly involved in this, because I know that some of our diplomatic missions in New York and Geneva, they are following these developments. But I personally do not follow. But it is my wish that if there will be a way to make sure that the needs of the people are addressed to the money, it will be very good. But the long term and actual solution will be to make sure that the situation in Afghanistan gets better. It gets changed. 

Let’s talk about the recognition efforts of the Taliban government. Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan, they have good relations with these neighbors. But it doesn’t seem that there will be as an official recognition of Taliban government. Do you have information, what is the calendar of Taliban government about recognition? Which clues do you get from other governments? 

So, my understanding is that recognition is legitimacy, international legitimacy. So, unless the issue of domestic legitimacy is addressed, -and it’s in this 21st century, governments has to have the support and backing of the people- and there has to be some principles on how a government indicates that it has the backing of the people; you cannot simply say that I have the support of the people without any indicators. So, there has to be a way. 

What is that way for Afghanistan?

So, the best thing would be to make sure that there is a framework in which there is some degree of public participation regarding the issue of domestic legitimacy. Unless that is not addressed, it will be difficult to see that international recognition will happen anytime soon. At the same time, I don’t think it will happen formally or officially anytime soon. Unles some very substantial issues are addressed such as the issue of the Afghanistan people’s rights, women’s rights and the issue of women’s access to education, women’s participation in the workforce, women’s participation in the society. Unless these issues are addressed, there will be, I think, no immediate solution to the issue of recognition, in my opinion. So, we don’t have a timeline for it.

Can you comment on Russia’s initiative that Russia announced they will invite Taliban government to Islamic summit in Kazan?  What will that bring? What is Russia’s aim and what will that bring to Taliban government? 

I think, it’s, what will happen is that it is sort of something that has happened over the past few years. There has been participation in various events, but it has not led to anything substantial or any major breakthroughs. For example, in 2022, in March, the Taliban delegation came and participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. But nothing substantial came out of it. So, Kazan and the participation in the Islamic World Conference will only be a participation. I don’t think it will bring anything other than participation. 

But what Russia wants to do is to put a stance for Taliban. Is it true?

So, in my understanding, Russia has security concerns about Afghanistan, specifically when it comes to Daesh, because recently there was a Daesh-Khorasan attack in Russia. So, for Russia, as well as other neighboring countries, such as, although Russia is not a neighboring country, but it is impacted by the situation. For Iran, for Pakistan, I think for them is to see how they can manage the situation to make sure that it does not get much more difficult or worse. For example, imagine if the security situation gets bad or worse in Afghanistan, these neighboring countries and regional countries, including Türkiye, will be the first to be impacted. And that’s why they maintain some degree of engagement to make sure that the situation is maintained. So, it will be a continuation of the status-quo. It will not be a major breakthrough.

What about the foreign investments into Afghanistan? China and Russia have several projects. There is a railway project between Russia and Afghanistan, which is also involving some Turkish companies. What do we know about these projects? Can you just enlighten us on that? 

So, yes, the Chinese have made investments. Iran has made some investments in Afghanistan. Russia has made some investments. Turkish companies have invested in certain sectors in Afghanistan. My understanding is that there are about 11 different companies who have invested in Afghanistan, Turkish companies. Construction, but also hydropower, solar power… So, these are some of the sectors that they have invested. The Russians and Chinese are interested in mines. They have also invested in the oil. The Iranians have also had some investment in mines. The Russians would like to see what they can do. They don’t have any major investments yet. 

Does Russia not have any major investments? 

Any major investments, no, but right now the investment that they have made on the railway is one of the first ones. It is signed. And they will gradually start to construct. This will be the railway connectivity from Afghanistan to Iran, western Afghanistan, Herat province. And this could also potentially in the future connect Afghanistan to Türkiye. Because it could potentially come all the way to Türkiye. 

How does it connect Russia and Afghanistan? 

Right now, the other parts to connect all the way to Russia has not started. Because this is only the part that connects Afghanistan to Iran. In the future, once the situation is better, then of course this will go all the way to the two other countries that it will connect to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. And then through Uzbekistan and Tajikistan it will potentially go all the way to both China and Russia. But that is not in an immediate plan. 

What is the calendar? 

Usually it’s quite difficult to talk about calendars in Afghanistan because the railway project that we are now discussing, this was discussed about 15 years ago. And because of the security incidents, it has always been delayed. Depending on the resources, investment and commitment by the companies and the security situation overall, I think, if the situation will be okay, the investment proceeds, the commitments for the investment proceeds, my understanding is that in the next five years there will be connectivity between Uzbekistan, Pakistan via Afghanistan, as well as way to Iran. And this will help to connect other countries such as Russia, China and India.

You have security problems regarding migrants in Pakistan? So, how do you evaluate this situation? And regarding the security of Afghanistan, is it actually very meaningful for the security of the whole region? This is what Ambassador Husrav Noziri, the Secretary General of Economic Cooperation Organization told me. He underlines that Afghanistan must be secure for the rest of the region to be secure. How will Afghanistan deal with these security problems? 

So, some part of the security problem is in Afghanistan. Another part is also regional, especially in Pakistan. In Pakistan they have ungoverned areas, like in Waziristan, federally administrative areas. The Pakistani army is not in full control of those areas. And that’s why those areas are now inside the Pakistani soil and territory has turned into a safe haven for some of the groups, including the TTP as well as the Daesh. I think also there are some areas in neighboring Iran that’s also the same. On April 4th, we had a terrorist attack in Iran by Jaysh al-Adl, which is called the Troops of Justice. So, there are some areas that are not strictly controlled by the three countries in the border areas and regions of the three countries. My understanding is that it will require close cooperation by the countries to make sure that the ungoverned areas are reduced. And these ungoverned areas are also inside Pakistan, because this is a very mountainous area like Waziristan and other places. But if the security situation in Afghanistan improves, it will have impacts on neighboring countries. If the security situation in neighboring countries such as Pakistan, improves, it will have an impact on the security situation in Afghanistan.

You were appointed as Ambassador to Ankara by the previous government. Have you been working with Taliban government?

We have 35 million citizens in Afghanistan. We need to help them. We need to be responsible for them. We do consular works, work for economic development and humanitarian assistance. Because of this, we work with the Taliban. I work for Afghanistan. Turkish mission in Kabul also work for people in Afghanistan very actively. Türkiye’s consulate is in Mazar-i-Sherif also works actively.

Do you have any diplomats appointed by the Taliban government in the Embassy?

We have two diplomats. One of them works in the field of law. For example, he works with the prisons and the law officers regarding the legal issues of Afghan citizens. The second one works in the economic field. He is focused on investments and humanitarian assistance. 

Decree of the first Turkish Ambassador appointed to Afghanistan, signed by Atatürk

How is the relation between Turkish government and Taliban government? How do you perceive a number of meetings held between two sides?

Türkiye works very pragmatically with Afghanistan. Because Türkiye sees the things like this: “I want to help them. I want to support them. At the same time, I want to improve the situation in Afghanistan. Because if the situation in Afghanistan improves, it will be a problem for Türkiye.” There is a migrant problem in Türkiye. If the situation in Afghanistan goes worse, it will be a serious problem for Türkiye. At the same time, the stability of the region is directly affected by Türkiye. Years ago, Türkiye’s economy was very good. There were different factors, of course, but main thing was that firstly, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan were stable. Because Türkiye was directly affected positively by the stability of the region. But now there is an economic crisis because there is still a crisis in Afghanistan, there is a crisis in Pakistan, there is a crisis in Syria, there is a crisis in Iraq, there is a crisis in Libya. This have directly affected Türkiye. 

Do you say Türkiye experiences economic difficulties mainly because of migrants?

Not only the migrants. There are many Turkish companies that work in Afghanistan. They got big projects from NATO, the US and Afghanistan. They got projects, which were equal to billions of dollars. Türkiye is directly affected in a good way by the good economic situation in Afghanistan previously. Because of this, Türkiye is working very positively, very pragmatically in this region. Because of this, some people in Türkiye say, -and this message comes from our citizens sometimes – Türkiye needs to stop these relations. I think this is not very logical and at the same time it is of no use. Because it can cause the situation get worse. Therefore, I think Türkiye’s presence in Afghanistan is very important. Afghanistan can change the situation with diplomatic, political, and assistance coming from Türkiye. Türkiye is doing very good things in this region.

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INTERVIEW

‘Georgian membership is not on the agenda tomorrow, this is a long-term process’

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1 week ago

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19/04/2024

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Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, assessed Tbilisi’s relations with Brussels and the EU accession process: “These accession negotiations will last for many years. Georgia’s accession is not on the agenda tomorrow or the next day. This is a long-term process.”

Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in December 2023, on the understanding that Georgia takes the relevant steps set out in the European Commission recommendation of November 2023.

So how will Georgia’s EU accession process work? What are the challenges ahead? Where are relations with Russia in this process? We spoke to Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia.

Georgia did not impose any sanctions on Russia regarding the Ukraine crisis. What do you think Georgia’s view of Russia as a country that went to war in 2008 and now not sanctioning?

Well, we, of course, are in constant contact, in constant discussion with Georgia. We have a very close relationship with Georgia. And for our point of view, the important thing is that we do not see a circumvention of sanctions. That is, that Georgia is not a conduit for large-scale circumvention of sanctions. And this is important for the EU. We believe that the sanctions are essential. And we are looking to our partners to make sure that their territories cannot be used for circumvention of sanctions. And in that regard, I think we have a good working relationship with Georgia.

Tbilisi is committed to the EU accession process now. So, what are the obstacles and challenges? How do you assess Brussels’ attitude towards Georgia given that it took a lot of time to reach that point?

Well, in the end, the fact that we did agree that Georgia and we did announce that Georgia can become a candidate country and the member states decided so, is only the beginning of a process. In the end, it is down to each applicant country to, then, prove that they fulfill the criteria, first of all, to start accession negotiations and then, of course, to actually finish accession negotiations. So, in that sense, we have opened the door. Now it is up to Georgia to step into the entrance way and then to start working towards actually being ready for membership.

What are those challenges?

I think there’s a lot of challenges. And I think, well, first of all, it is important to fulfill the criteria to start to open the accession negotiations. And then the question is then to start fulfilling all the criteria required for membership. And that’s not an easy process. So, all candidate countries have had a fairly hard time in preparing for membership. And this is no different for Georgia. Therefore, it will be incumbent on the Georgian authorities to take this seriously and to recognize that it is now really for the Georgian authorities to prove that Georgia is ready to proceed first to the next phase and then to actually succeed in the accession negotiations.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that further rapprochement with China is one of his government’s priorities. How does Georgia benefit from a rapprochement with China, according to you, while walking this road towards the EU?

Well, I think that every country has, of course, a right to be able to develop relations with third countries. And the same goes for Georgia. The question is that when it comes to alignment of foreign policy, that is obviously something that we’re looking for from a candidate country that we believe it is important that in the end. The EU and its member states talk with one voice and have a similar approach to third countries and to issues in world politics. And so, in that regard, I think, it is perfectly all right for Georgia to develop a relationship with China, which is all the EU member states have relationships with China. But the important thing is that we expect that the overall Georgian foreign policy approach will be more and more harmonized with that of the EU at large.

Tbilisi also sees economic cooperation with Russia as “highly beneficial”. How would you interpret the West’s reactions to Georgia on this issue?

The important thing again is that there is no circumvention of sanctions. That in that sense, there is no situation where a third country provides or allows the transit of goods or provides the supply of goods that we believe should not be supplied to Russia because of its war with Ukraine. And in that context, again, I think it is important that we see that Georgia does make sure that no sanctioned circumvention is taking place in the context of trade with Russia.

Do you think this is going to be a criteria for the EU to consider Georgia’s membership?

Well, again, first of all, Georgian membership is not on the agenda tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. This is a long-term process. It’s the process of accession. First of all, there has to be a decision to open the accession negotiations. And secondly, those accession negotiations are going to take many years. So, in that regard, I think it is purely theoretical to start talking about whether something is somehow a condition or not for actually joining. But I mean, something specific, in general terms, of course, what we do expect, again, what I mentioned before, is that a candidate country does ensure that its foreign policy becomes more and more harmonized with that of the European Union.

Under what conditions do you think it’s possible to unite with Abkhazia and South Ossetia? Could you tell us about the recent steps taken to resolve this issue? What is your perspective?

Well, I don’t think that this is an easy process. I think the key actor in this regard is, of course, Russia. And Russia should abide by the six-point agreement of 2008, where it committed itself to withdrawing its troops to the positions that were held prior to the conflict with Georgia. So, if Russia does that, if Russia also withdraws its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and actually starts playing a constructive role in helping Georgians, Abkhaz and South Ossetians to overcome their conflict, then, I believe, it is possible to resolve this. As long as Russia remains obstructionist and the way it is right now, not keeping its troops in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and insisting on not fulfilling its obligations under the six-point agreement. As long as that’s the case, it will be difficult to actually resolve those conflicts. Russia is a major hindrance in this regard.

There’s a judgment that Georgian society is caught between the Soviet culture, the Soviet heritage and Western influence. As a part of the Western alliance like EU and also being an observer at the same time would you agree with that judgment? Do you think is there such polarization in the country among people?

Well, I think we see that an overwhelming majority of Georgians want to join the European Union. Obviously, there will be cultural differences and different views in this context in the context of this process. But I believe that this is a process of harmonization that will last for some time but that will ultimately end with coming closer and with also society accepting and learning to value the norms that the European Union is living by. And that is, I think, also an important aspect for the Georgian government to ensure and to promote that European values and understandings are promoted in Georgian society. And I think that probably more can be done in this regard also as far as pluralism, as far as really encouraging divergent views and tolerance for minorities is concerned. I think that’s a very important aspect of European culture. And I think there is still some work to be done in Georgia.

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