By Andrew Warshaw
March 30 – Historic efforts to use football as a tool for change on the politically divided island of Cyprus have triggered an immediate backlash, with local politicians stepping in to try and block any deal.
On Monday, after months of talks between the two sides, the unofficial Cyprus Turkish Football Association (CTFA) in the north formally applied for membership of the Cyprus Football Association, ending a split that has lasted for the best part of 60 years.
The move followed a provisional agreement signed in Zurich in November, 2013 between the two sides in the presence of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini.
Essentially, once approved, the CFA will recognise the CTFA as an official partner but a senior Turkish Cypriot official blasted the move in a letter to all clubs in the north as “suicide” for the future of football in the isolated breakaway state and urged the association to reconsider in order to preserve Turkish-Cypriot autonomy.
Turkish Cypriot sports minister Serdar Denktash was quoted as describing the move as “outrageous” and threatened to cut funding to clubs if they went ahead.
But CTFA president Hasan Sertoglu told a news conference that he was pressing ahead with the reforms, insisting sport had to be treated differently.
“Today an era in Turkish Cypriot football is closing, and we are doing what we believe is right,” he said.
“This is not a one-man show. I have the full support of the (CTFA) executive committee. This is not a political issue, we are doing this for the future of our youth. You can scream at me all you want, you won’t be able to stop us. Take your hands off football.”
Sertoglu insisted that any deal with the official CFA did not affect the CFTA’s role as the sole football authority in the north of the island.
“The CFA will not be the boss in the north. We have the right to abandon the agreement, but we have no such intention. … We want to be FIFA members for the benefit of our people.”
Ethnic Greeks and Turks have lived separately on the island since 1954 following a Greek-Cypriot uprising against British colonial rule. That was followed by the Turkish military intervention 20 years later.
Unrecognised by anyone except Turkey, the CTFA cannot compete in international competitions but is now changing its statutes which Sertoglu said should take about 40 days, at which time he will call a general assembly for CTFA member clubs to ratify the amendments.
“This is another clear confirmation of the CTFA decision, to regain our place, with all rights and obligations in the CFA which was founded in 1934 with the active role and participation of Turkish Cypriot officials, clubs and players,” Sertoglu said in a letter to FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.
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