There does not seem to be any interest from the Turkish Cypriot side in seriously engaging or responding to the Christodoulides checkpoint confidence building proposals.
According to a Costas Venizelos analysis, published today in Phileleftheros, what Ersin Tatar is doing instead is elevating the issue of the mixed village of Pyla into a central tension theme, coupled with provocation movements on the ground, a tactic often applied across the board.
Such actions are linked to on-going escalation of claims by the occupation regime both in the specific area as well as across the buffer zone, pushing for gains and concessions that are nowhere near on the radar of the Christodoulides proposals.
According to Philenews sources from UN headquarters in New York, Ersin Tatar penned a letter to Antonio Guterres only a few days ago as efforts to arrange a 2nd meeting with the President were underway, essentially rejecting the Christodoulides 8 point package, submitted in their last meeting and laying out his own specific take it or leave it demands, without room for manoeuvring.
The letter outlines the Turkish tactic of gains on checkpoints, but primarily focuses on the Pyla issue.
In a blame-shifting game, Tatar labels the Greek Cypriot side’s positions as unacceptable, contending that Nicosia is actually proposing passagewayσ that start and finish in the free areas of the Republic.
What the occupying force needs to further its goals, are so called ‘border stations’, crossings to and from the occupied territories, opening up various areas for the Turkish side, including and insisting upon Mia Milia and Louroutzina.
It is evident, however, that the priority issue for the Turkish side is that of Pyla, not in the sense of working towards implementing an agreement already in place but rather executing its own plan for the construction of the strategic Arsos-Pyla road, forging a military advantage.
According to the Turkish blueprint of a map shown above, the two-lane road will span a total length of 11.6 kilometres, with 7.5 traversing within the boundaries of Arsos village and the remaining 4.1 going through Pyla. The reasoning for this approach is that the Turkish Cypriot residents of Pyla are isolated and subjected to inhumane treatment by the Republic of Cyprus.
The entire matter extends beyond mere road construction. As Philenews sources note, the ultimate goal of these demands, is to accommodate the occupation army’s goal of gaining military advantage by controlling the area during a possible crisis, as it will hold the passageway to the Larnaca-Famagusta road and Larnaca airport.
Ersin Tatar himself recently visited the area, escorted by military and local officials.
