The Cyprus Problem -Part III

The political and social history of Cyprus after 1974 has been characterised by a long and arduous process of negotiations between the Greek Cypriot side and the Turkish Cypriot leadership which inevitably functions under the control of Turkey. On November 15, 1983, Danktash, unilaterally declared the establishment of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus “as an independent state, a status that has not been recognised by any country other than Turkey and which has been condemned as an illegal by the Security Council of the United Nations

“Greek Cypriots realised that the objective of enosis was that once and for all. Likewise the objective of a unitary state with elements of local and communal self-administration on issues of low-level politics which was the basis of negotiations before July 15, 1974, over which an agreement had essentially been reached, was no longer an option. “Greek Cypriots were desperate and ready for unprecedented concessions for the reestablishment of the unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. Successive rounds of intercommunal talks did not lead anywhere.

Gradually it would become evident that Turkey‘s objectives were not limited to protecting the Turkish Cypriot community or preventing enosis. The objective was to bring the island state under its strategic control. In addition to the occupation of almost 40% of the territory of Cyprus in 1974, the massive inflow of Anatolian settlers is indicative of that objective. The UN continued its efforts and negotiations were started with K of; Annan’s appointment as a UN Secretary-General in 1997 with the role of mediator filled by Diego Cordovez. Clerides and Danktash were presented with a set of ideas for a comprehensive settlement. By this point, however, the EU had already decided to begin accession negotiations with Cyprus regardless of the outcome of the peace talks. “Regarding this development as a deterioration of its bargaining potentials, the Turkish Cypriot side refused to participate in any further negotiations over a comprehensive settlement on the basis of the accepted framework of bizonal, by communal Federated States. Instead, they proposed the creation of a confederation of two sovereign constituent states.“  In other words, the Turkish Cypriots shifted to a hard-line stance that prioritised the international recognition of their regime and the characterisation of future negotiations as between two separate states rather than two communities. The US and Britain strongly supported the new process of bicommunal negotiation under the auspices of the UN. It was assumed that the expected accessions of Cyprus to the EU in conjunction with Turkey‘s own European ambition created new dimensions and a window of opportunity for the resolution of the Cyprus question. Of course, the fundamental question remained: What model can lead to a viable solution?

Reem Haddad

Editor -in-Chief