The Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament was in Norway this week for a two-day visit. The committee’s chair, former vice president Fuat Oktay, spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) about their discussions with the Norwegian officials. Oktay said on Friday that they held fruitful discussions on matters ranging from Norway’s recognition of the Palestinian state to the Cyprus question, the Ukraine-Rusia conflict and the war on terrorism.
In an interview in Oslo, Oktay stated that their discussions would contribute to both Türkiye’s ties with Norway and regional affairs.
Türkiye and Norway have maintained friendly relations since 1926. Ankara praised Norway’s decision to recognize an independent Palestinian state earlier this week.
Oktay said the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the longstanding Cyprus issue comprised the bulk of their discussions in Norway. "Norway decided to recognize Palestine and this decision will be formally implemented on May 28. It is good news," he said. Oktay said Türkiye earlier presented its three-step plan to end the ordeal of Palestinians and the Palestine-Israel conflict to the international community and they advocated it again in their talks in Norway. "We see people agree with us everywhere we visit. (Türkiye’s plan) involves the establishment of a permanent cease-fire, uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Palestine, and a two-state solution that will benefit both Palestine and Israel and ensure the security of two nations," he said.
He pointed out that the process that started in Norway for the statehood of Palestine and the reforms required to achieve it would continue. "On May 26, our Foreign Minister will be here for a meeting which will be attended by members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union. The OIC, Arab countries and EU countries will then hold a second meeting related to the summit here for efforts to implement the two-state solution. Türkiye is part of this process. We discussed this matter here in Norway," Oktay said.
When the West almost unconditionally threw its support behind Israel when the new round of conflict broke out between Israel and Palestine on Oct. 7, Türkiye was vocal in condemning the Israeli attacks that killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan primarily turned to diplomacy, contacting dozens of leaders. Within one month of the eruption of the conflict, Erdoğan held talks with some 30 leaders, including Israel’s President Isaac Herzog. His diplomatic efforts reached out to everyone from the United Nations chief to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pope Francis. Three days after the beginning of the conflict, Erdoğan became one of the first outspoken critics of Israel in this new stage of the conflict, criticizing the approach of the United States and the West in general to the issue. He questioned the international community’s silence in the face of violation of human rights by Israel.
Following Israel’s first major attack on a hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17, Erdoğan condemned Israel in harsh words. Türkiye declared a three-day national mourning for victims of the hospital attack starting on Oct. 18, 2023. Although he faced an outcry from Israel and even some allies, Erdoğan was unrepentant when he openly declared on Oct. 25 that Hamas was a resistance group, not a terrorist organization, as most Western countries siding with Israel portrayed. His rhetoric was not different than his remarks regarding Hamas in the past, long before his presidency, but he found renewed popularity amid few defenders of the Palestinian cause. In the same speech, Erdoğan declared an end to the expected normalization of ties with Israel, scrapping his plans to visit Israel. The president then invited all countries "with a conscience" to press on the Netanyahu administration to end the atrocities in Gaza. He also sought to mobilize the United Nations Security Council to ensure a cease-fire in Gaza, decrying the delay in the face of children being killed.
Cyprus question
On the Cyprus issue, Oktay said they conveyed the problems Turkish Cypriots faced in their talks, particularly the sanctions targeting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He pointed out that incumbent Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide was the U.N. Secretary-General’s special adviser for the island of Cyprus in the past and was familiar with the process and problems. He said they were pleased with Eide’s stance on the issue. "Mr. Minister acknowledged that Türkiye and TRNC did everything to find a solution, but the other side (Greek Cypriots) has been far from reconciliation. Türkiye advocates a solution based on two sovereign, independent communities rather than a federation on the island. We saw (Norwegian officials) were warm to the lifting of Cyprus sanctions. We have space for cooperation on the matter," Oktay said.
The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Türkiye, as a guarantor power, prompted by a coup aimed at Greece's annexation of the island, launched a military intervention dubbed the Cyprus Peace Operation to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was founded on Nov. 15, 1983. Since then, the violence has stopped, but tensions continue, including over who holds sway on the island's exclusive offshore economic zone, over 40% of which was claimed by Türkiye following recent natural gas discoveries.
Türkiye doesn't recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a state and still keeps some 35,000 troops in the TRNC.
The island has recently seen an on-and-off peace process, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom. The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year they thwarted a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute, but only the Greek Cypriot south enjoyed its full benefits.
On counterterrorism efforts, Oktay said they discussed cooperation against the terrorist group PKK and its Syrian wing YPG and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). "We underlined the importance of counterterrorism as two NATO allies. We see a positive approach from our counterparts in the Norwegian Parliament and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on these issues," he said.