Questions Relating to the Turkish Cypriots.

1. What are the benefits to the Turkish Cypriots from full membership of the EU?
2. How will the Turkish Cypriot benefit from being an EU citizen?
3. How much of the financial assistance from the European Union will be used for the benefit of the Turkish Cypriots Community?
4. Will the Turkish Cypriots be able to maintain and develop their own cultural identity?
5. In simple language what would be the benefits to the ordinary Turkish Cypriots?
6. The Turkish Cypriot business community has often expressed reservations about measures aiming at normalization and entry to the EU. What are the benefits of full membership for the Turkish Cypriot businessmen?
7. Even though most of the Turkish Cypriot community will benefit from membership of the EU, how will the industries that will face hardship be assisted to harmonize their activities with the conditions inside the EU?

The Turkish Cypriots will benefit tremendously from full membership of the EU and the solution of the Cyprus problem, both of which will bring about a sudden and permanent improvement in income and living standards, and will give the Turkish Cypriots all the benefits that citizens of Europe enjoy today. Salaries will increase, young people will stop emigrating, unemployment will be greatly reduced, profitability increased, social conditions will be brought up to European levels, human rights respected, and a more liberal and acceptable form of democracy exercised. The Turkish Cypriots would benefit far more than any other section of the population of Cyprus because the economic and social circumstances of the community have fallen behind the rest of Cyprus since 1974 and as a result they would quickly gain both from the normalization process and the amount of development assistance that they will receive.

In its «Regular Report on Cyprus’ Progress Towards Accession» (October 1998), the European Commission has included the following general evaluation:

«The integration of the northern part of Cyprus, especially if taking place in the context of Cyprus accession to the EU, will not raise major economic difficulties, because of its relatively small size and its potential, in particular, in terms of agriculture and tourism. However, it will be important to bring the basic infrastructure up to the standard of the southern part of the island.»

Turkish Cypriots will have the same rights in this respect as any other citizen of Europe, whether German, French, British or Greek Cypriot. This means that Turkish Cypriots will have EU passports just like citizens of other EU countries. These rights are provided by the European Union Treaty which states that every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union and shall have the right to move freely within the EU, be entitled to protection by any embassy of a Union member in a third country, may petition the European Parliament and the EU Ombudsman, and have freedom of employment and establishment within the Union. Furthermore, any citizen of the Union residing in a Member State of which he is not a national has the right, in that state, to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal elections and in elections to the European Parliament.

Upon accession, Cyprus will be eligible for financial assistance from the structural funds, (European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) the European Investment Bank facilities and loans and the Cohesion Fund. The precise amounts of assistance will depend on the «objective» of the EU’s regional policy for which Cyprus will be deemed eligible. As a rule such assistance is always meant to supplement national policies aimed at balanced and sustainable development. Irrespective of the actual level of co-financing assistance from the EU, the aim is to promote economic and social cohesion throughout Cyprus with all means and within the shortest possible time frame.

For the present and foreseeable future, the comparatively greater needs of the Turkish Cypriot Community will attract special attention in overall national development policy, thus a correspondingly substantial amount of co-financing assistance from the EU will be devoted for direct and indirect benefits to the Turkish Cypriot Community.

The EU is very concerned about the rights of all groups and of individuals as well as the position of the EU Maastricht Treaty. Over and above this formal support, the trend in the EU is for communities and nationalities that are not numerically large to reassert their cultural rights, and a great deal of support is provided to such groups, especially where they are in distinct regions.

The main advantages of full EU membership for the ordinary Turkish Cypriot are as follows:

1. European citizenship, giving the freedom to travel anywhere with the protection of EU foreign services and the freedom to establish and set up business or be employed in any EU Member State.
2. Improved security for life, family, property and human and democratic rights.
3. A sharp increase in wages by more than three times the present levels. For many this increase will be immediate on the establishment of a single market for goods, labour and capital, for others wages will rise rapidly and approach those of the Government-controlled area within a relatively short period (perhaps 2 to 5 years).
4. Real living standards will increase sharply as a result of the increase in incomes and relatively moderate price changes.
5. An increase in both the quality and quantity of job opportunities available in Cyprus, as well as freedom to travel throughout the EU for employment.
6. The right of children and young people to study in EU member states free or under the same terms as other European Citizens, and subsequently to have the right to offer services or undertake employment.
7. Improvements in roads, infrastructure and services, many of which will be funded by the EU.
8. Improvements in standards for foodstuffs, other products, safety at work and the environment.
9. The reduction in emigration of Turkish Cypriots owing to the rapid improvement in living standards in Cyprus.
10. The recourse to EU Courts in cases where discrimination or other violation of EU laws is assumed.

Membership of the EU and the normalization process will benefit the great majority of Turkish Cypriot businesses, but certainly some firms unavoidably will face adjustment problems. Problems will mainly arise where there are monopolistic markets or where industries have been protected by high tariffs or quotas prohibiting imports. In contrast the agricultural and tourist sectors will benefit enormously, the former from better prices and greater assistance, the latter from better access to the huge EU market. Manufacturing should benefit from having, at least initially, the lowest wage costs in the EU, and access to an enlarged local market. Shopkeepers and importers should benefit considerably from the growth in the tourist market and the greater spending power of Turkish Cypriot workers who will benefit from the rapid increase in incomes.

The EU is already providing assistance through the financial protocols provided under the Association Agreement to facilitate the harmonization process. A substantial part of this assistance is earmarked to help the Turkish Cypriot community, and especially the business sector. In general the Customs Union process, which began in 1988, has allowed many industries to gradually adapt to the single market conditions of the EU. Consequently the present proposals from within the Turkish Cypriot community for the gradual reduction of tariffs with the EU should be welcomed as being in the right direction. The earlier the adjustment process begins, the easier the harmonization process. Furthermore, after accession, Cyprus will obtain access to the EU structural funds which, within the framework of the European Union’s regional policy provide very substantial financial aid for the purpose of industrial restructuring and modernisation.