Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are again engaged in negotiations that could result in the reunification of an island divided since the 1974 Greek coup d’etat and subsequent Turkish invasion.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are again engaged in negotiations that could result in the reunification of an island divided since the 1974 Greek coup d’etat and subsequent Turkish invasion.
The two presidents, Nicos Anastasiades of southern Greek Cyprus and Mustafa Akinci of northern Turkish Cyprus, have met many times since talks restarted last year. U.N. special adviser Espen Barth Eide is presiding. Prospects for success are considered to be good.
On the other hand, the two sides have been close to agreement before. One opportunity was lost in 2004 when Greek Cyprus was knocking at the door of the European Union, seeking accession. At that point the EU could have told the Cypriots to wrap up the division of the island or not join the EU. Instead, the EU let Greece buffalo it into admitting Greek Cyprus without reunification.
A second opportunity came in 2012 when Greek Cyprus faced a banking crisis beyond its means to resolve. This time, also, the Europeans and the International Monetary Fund let the Cypriots off the hook with an $8.3 billion bailout without reunification strings attached.
So here the Cypriots and the world go again. Issues include the obvious knotty problem of power-sharing. There remain also property questions, the application of EU law in the north with Turkey not an EU member and the continued presence of 40,000 Turkish troops on the island. Turkey, under substantial pressure at home from migrants, the Kurds and wars in neighboring Iraq and Syria, would like to get rid of the estimated $1 billion a year northern Cyprus costs it. Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, could also use the image polishing that resolving this 42-year-old problem would bring.
The removal of the burden of division from this island of just over a million people would also be to the economic advantage of all Cypriots. Real prospects for successful negotiations? “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,” said Shakespeare’s King Henry V. The world could use a win, in the face of stalemated conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere.
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette