OVERSHADOWED ACCESSION OF CYPRUS |
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Prof. Dr. Ata ATUN |
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The prospect of joining the European Union of Cyprus is over-shadowed by the country’s unresolved political division since 1956.
The island was divided into Turkish Sector and Greek Sector as far as in 1956 by the British Colonial Government. First the capital Nicosia was divided by the barbed wires than followed by the other towns and rather big villages.
UNFICYP landed to the island after the severe inter communal clashes took place in 1964 according to UN resolution No. 186, dated March 4, 1964 and not after 1974 intervention.
Most people thinks that UNFICYP deployed in the island after the 1974 intervention. This of course is not the truth. The problem exists in the island since 1947.
Etnarh then the President Makarios, rejected the 1947 Lord Win-ster Plan, 1948 Edward Jackson Constitution, 1955 John Harding Proposals, 1956 Lord Radcliffe Plan, 1957 Paul Henry Spaak Plan, 1957 Selwyn Lloyd Proposals and 1958 Macmillan Plan only because they did not give a clear the way to Enosis, annexation with Greece.
If he had said yes to any of these plans or proposals and forget about enosis, then there would be no problem ever on the island which stands at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and has a strong export orientation.
For most of the last 12 accession countries, EU membership on May 1, 2004 and Jan 1, 2007 is very positive and beneficiary. It means an improved economic opportunity and free movement across 25 Eu-ropean countries.
Ankara has grown increasingly ambivalent to a settlement despite its EU ambitions and the fact that Brussels has linked its application for membership to a solution of the Cyprus problem.
Dark clouds blown by EU, berthed on the island of Cyprus, since May 1, 2004.
After the passage of three years since the April 24, 2004 Annan plan referendum it is now clearly visible that the side punished by the international community is the Turkish Cypriots, who voted “yes,” ra-ther than the Greek Cypriots, who rejected the plan. It can be observed that the international isolation and embargo of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and of the Turkish Cypriots is still on with hopes for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem becoming increa-singly slim.
The opposing and ambitious attitude of Greek Cypriot adminis-tration, with the assurance of being a full member and sitting on the decision-making side of Turkey’s EU accession talks — currently going off track – eroding gradually the hopes for a solution in the island.
The Greek settlers issue and the Greek mercenaries further com-plicate the Cyprus problem. Especially the existence of 230,000 Greek settlers in the south and 5,000 Greek mercenaries from Greece, defi-nitely overshadows the accession and the talks for a substantial solu-tion in the island.
However, for most Cypriots, EU accession is overshadowed by the island’s continuing division. The recent public polls held in the north and south reveals a stunning fact that 45% of Greek Cypriots and 65% of Turkish Cypriots are willing top live in two separate states located side-by-side rather then living together mixed, under a unilateral single state.
